The Beginning of the End
by NightShade727
Summary: Alfred stumbles onto a dark secret that changes his life in a way he could have never imagine. After telling Alexia, the two set in motion events that will forever determine their future.
1. Chapter I

The Beginning of the End

Alfred Ashford cracked the door open to the labs beneath the large Ashford mansion. From this position, he could see his twin sister working away at a lab table that faced him, surrounded by stacks of documents. Alfred felt his heart drop at the sight of her in the middle of all the paper work. He knew she was going over the newest notes on the T-Virus that their father had given her to look over. The twelve year old had come down to the labs in the hope of spending time with Alexia, but seeing her now, in the middle of all that paper, Alfred knew she would not drop all the work just to be with him. Her research was to important to be put aside for him.

Alfred leaned forward, resting his head on the side of the door and watched Alexia, his eyes fixated on her. There was something about her working that made her seem beautiful to him. Perhaps it was the way her beautiful sky blue eyes darted across the pages, soaking in its information. Or maybe it was the way she brushed her golden tresses behind her ear and out of her face. It could even be the way she bit her lip slightly as she processed this new information. Whatever the reason, he was mesmerized by her.

"Can I help you with something, Alfred?" Alexia asked after a few moments, catching him watching her.

Alfred blushed slightly and walked stepped into the room. He smiled at her, loving the sound of her musical voice. "No, Alexia."

"Then what is it?" She stopped writing and looked up at him, her blue eyes meeting his identical ones. A slender eyebrow raised in question.

"I just wanted to spend time with you," Alfred said sheepishly, looking at the floor near her feet. Ever since she was appointed Senior Researcher Alexia spent more and more time in the labs and away from him. She was fascinated with the virus, almost as much as Alfred was with her. It was borderline obsessive with how much time she spent working on it these days.

A warm, but small smile spread across her delicate mouth. "I am working, my dear Alfred. I cannot be distracted right now."

"Of course, Alexia," Alfred said, looking crestfallen. While he was expecting this answer, he couldn't squash the small beacon of optimism in his heart. He needed this hope in this desolate Antarctic Umbrella Base, it kept him going. Without it, he would go insane.

Alexia smiled and waved him off. "I will see you tonight at dinner my dear."

He slowly backed out of the room and quietly closed the door behind him. The facility wasn't a good place for him, Alfred thought, looking around at the empty, and stark halls. He wished to be back in their home on Rockfort Island where they could go outside and play in the sun like they used to before Alexia began working. He hated the viruses that their father had pushed Alexia into working on for Umbrella. They had all but replaced Alfred as a companion for her.

Sighing heavily, he began to wander aimlessly down one of the facility's many deserted hallways. He could find some way to entertain himself.

Right?

Alfred stopped moving, not having realized how far he had wandered in the labs. He looked around and recognized that he was in the basement levels, somewhere that people rarely went. He was about to head back up to the main levels when he noticed a small hallway off to the side.

The hall was very narrow and off in such a way that it looked out of place, almost like it was added as a second thought. At the end of the hallway was a single door, so simple that it almost blended into the surrounding walls. Normally, Alfred would have passed it by but the lock caught his eye.

The lock was strange, not like a usual locking device. It had three indentations in it, all roughly the same size of slightly bigger then a nickel, but not very deep. Alfred ran his fingers along the surface of the locking mechanism in confusion. How did it work? And what kind of key is needed?

Alfred smiled. Alexia would know the answers to these questions because she knew everything! She would help him discover the secret to this door! It could be an adventure that the two of them could share! Excited that he found something that would force Alexia to pay attention to him, he retraced his steps and ran back to Alexia's lab.

"Alexia!" Alfred burst back into the lab, feeling the thrill of his discovery. "Oh, Alexia! I have to tell you of the discovery I just made-"

Alexia held up a gloved hand to stop him. The simple gesture stopped the words at the tip of Alfred's tongue in their tracks. "Alfred," her voice was soft but Alfred could detect the edge in it. "Haven't I already told you that I am working?"

"Yes, Alexia," Alfred hung his head, feeling shame wash over him. He knew she was disappointed in him and he felt horrible. The work on the T-Virus was more important then some silly discovery he made. He knew that and yet he still thought it might be pertinent to tell her. "I'm terribly sorry."

His twin didn't say anything, making the silence agonizing for Alfred. She was irritated. That was obvious. She was punishing him with her silence. He wanted to throw himself at her feet and beg for her forgiveness.

Two black shoes appeared in his field of vision as Alexia stepped close to him. Alfred tried hard not to flinch, believing she meant to strike him. But instead, he felt the soft silk of her glove rub against his cheek and he leaned into the touch.

"Look at me."

Her hand slid down the side of his face and under his chin, pushing his head up to look at her. When Alfred finally got enough courage to look at her, she rewarded him with a small kiss on the cheek. "We can talk later, if you still wish. But for now, I have work to do."

"Yes, Alexia."

* * *

For the next couple of days, Alfred contemplated the room. Why was it sealed off? The room was in such a secluded area that few people probably knew about it. And why did it need such a complicated lock? The lock was obviously made specifically for this mansion and this room. Custom made to make sure that only the person with all three pieces could access it. It must house some truly awesome secret...but what?

He wished to talk to Alexia about it but he didn't want to distract her unless he actually had some reason to. He couldn't just bother her about some locked room without having discovered the importance of it. If he did, she might be disappointed in him and Alfred couldn't bare to listen to her speak to him in that tone again.

The small inserts the lock needed in order to be opened didn't help his problem at all. He thought of everything and anything that could fit there. He had tried coins, small rocks, and various other objects he found lying around the labs and the mansion to no avail. Whatever the keys were, they were hidden well.

Alfred idly twirled his family's gemstone ring like a top and watched it spin along the mahogany desk he was sitting at. Spinning the bright blue sapphire ring was a habit of his whenever he was trying to figure out a solution to a particularly complicated problem. He wanted to find a way into that room.

Perhaps he could create a mold of the lock's indentations and find something similar that could fit, he thought to himself, spinning the ring again. That way he could at least have a better idea of what he was looking for. Alfred, seeing no other option, got up to go find something to make a molding in with when he stopped to put on his ring.

His ring! Alfred snatched it up off the table in excitement. The sapphire stone set in it was roughly the same size as the holes on the lock. Of course! Why didn't he think about it before?

Alfred ran down the stairs and through the labs with new determination. If this worked, he would be just one step closer to finding out what was in that room! These thoughts only served to speed up his legs, prompting him to take larger strides. He was almost flying through the deserted building.

He finally skidded to a halt when he finally reached the dark and empty hallway that ended at the door. His heart was racing and he took a couple deep breaths to calm himself, because while he was almost certain he had figured out the way into the room and he was bursting with this triumph.

With shaking hands, he pulled the ring off his finger and put the top of it, the sapphire gemstone into the indentation. Alfred jumped and gave a girly squeal when the ring slipped perfectly into place. That was the key! Now all he needed were the other two stones, the ones held by his father and Alexia.

His victory celebration was cut short by this thought. He'd have no trouble getting Alexia's gemstone but his father's...Alexander had always been very careful about where his broach which contained the Ashford diamond gemstone was kept. He never let Alexia or Alfred see it and made sure to have it with him at all times. The boy frowned. Why was his father so protective of the stone? Did that mean he knew about this room? And if he did, why was he keeping it a secret? What would he need to hide?

* * *

"Father?" Alfred knocked on the door to his father's study. He had spent the better part of the day pacing his room in an attempt to come up with an adequate excuse for why he needed the broach that contained Alexander's gemstone. Finally, he came up with a lame story, one that may work just because it would be so unexpected, but he didn't know for sure. He just hoped that Alexander was in a happy mood.

"Come in."

He quickly obliged. His father's office looked more like a library rather then an office. Shelves of books lined the walls, filled to capacity with the number of books each one held. Most of the books were old virology or biology textbooks from university that Alexander had used. Just this last year, he had been giving them to Alfred and Alexia to begin reading so that they could have a head start above the other people in their work.

His father was sitting at his desk, books spilling all over it. Pages upon pages were spread on top of them. He was wearing a fine dark suit, making him look every bit the aristocrat that he was. And there, gleaming in the dim light of the office just beneath his lapel, was the gold and diamond broach that Alfred wanted.

"How can I help you, my son?" Alexander said, leaning forward in his chair.

Alfred looked around the room, trying to look as uncaring as possible. "I would like to borrow your broach, father."

Alexander leaned back in his chair, a suspicious look on his face. "What do you want with my broach, Alfred?" His voice was very stern, too stern for such a simple request.

"Well, see," Alfred tried to look as innocent as possible. He sighed heavily. "I was looking through some of the art books that I have in my room and I was just thinking how wonderful the paintings seem. I wanted to create one of my own using the Ashford family gemstones as the subject."

His father stared at him, an incredulous look on his face. Alfred held his breath, waiting almost impatiently for his response. He willed his father to say yes, begged the universe to please let him agree.

"Why do you want to paint them? There are so many other artifacts in the mansion that would surely serve as better subjects."

"I thought you would say that," Alfred said, huffing and hanging his head a little dramatically. "I just thought it would look significantly more elegant if I used the gemstones. They are our treasures, after all."

"Alright," Alexander sighed heavily. He unfastened his broach and held it out to the boy. "You may borrow it, but I want it back as soon as you are finished."

"Thank you!" Alfred said, a little too excitedly. He took the broach and bounced to the door. "Thank you, father!"

Then, before his father could change his mind, Alfred dashed out of the room, skipping toward Alexia's labs. He clutched the broach to his chest and he descended to the labs, careful not to loose it. Now that he had it, he was never going to let it go until he got to the bottom of this mystery.

For the second time in week, Alfred barged into Alexia's lab too full of excitement to knock. "Alexia! Oh, Alexia!"

"Alfred," Alexia sighed, turning around from the table. She gave him a disapproving look. "Please stop bothering me. I need to do this work-"

"I am terribly sorry," Alfred said, not letting her disappointment deter him from achieving his goal. "But I need to borrow your gemstone."

"My gemstone?" Alexia's fingers brushed against the ruby choker around her neck.

"Please, Alexia," Alfred said, going over to her and kissing her cheek. "I promise not to bother you again if you let me borrow it."

"I see," Alexia giggled. She turned around and lifted her hair up. "Help me."

Alfred quickly untied the satin ribbon of the choker and took it off her. And just like that, he held all three of the gemstones he needed to get into the room. He wanted to jump up and down with delight. "Thank you!"

Faster then he had ever moved in his life, Alfred ran to the room in the basement. As usual the halls were deserted so he wasn't concerned of anyone finding him down there. Not wasting any time, he slipped all three gemstones into their places and heard a small clicking noise as the door's bolt slid back.

After a bit of pushing, the door slid open. Alfred took small steps into the room, dust rising around his feet as he moved. The room was small with a single box window on one side. It cast a beam of light into the room and onto a stack of papers that were placed on a single workstation. He could smell a sense of decaying and looked further in the room for the source of the stench. He quickly found it because resting against the far was was a decorated coffin whose top was slightly ajar.

He went over to the coffin to close it in the hopes that it would get rid of the retched smell but as soon as he got close, he came face to face with the skeletal remains inside. The sight of the decaying remains startled him, causing him to draw in a sharp breath. He coughed as the stale air scratched his throat and he backed away from the coffin. Shivering slightly, he turned his attention to the stack of papers on the workstation.

On top of the stack of papers was a leather bound book with the Ashford crest on the cover. Leaning closer, he could see the name Alexander written in fancy script on the bottom right corner. His father's personal book? He took it into his hands and flipped through it. Most of it was notes on the numerous experiments Alexander had worked on while at Umbrella. Or at least, that what it was until Alfred came across the last several entries.

_March 1 1970_

_Yesterday I had a meeting with Father's friend, Ozwell Spencer. He spoke to me of a project in which Umbrella was looking for children of higher then normal intellect to see if they could become the perfect human beings. I asked to be part of the project but Mr. Spencer informed me that it would be far to complicated for me...I lack the brilliance of my father._

_March 14 1970_

_Mr. Spencer's methods of acquiring exceptionally intelligent children seems too difficult to carry on for multiple trials. I know that Mr. Spencer has no interest about what I have to say about this whole project, but it seems as if their use of kidnapped children for this can't go on forever. I feel it might be beneficial to look into different methods..._

_April 30 1970_

_I, Alexander Ashford, have made an excellent discovery today. I have found the gene that regulates human intelligence! If only Father could see me now! I am sure he would be impressed._

_May 1 1970_

_I spoke to Mr. Spencer about my findings but he brushed them off. I would talk to Father's other friend, Dr. Marcus, but everyone knows he's too busy with his virus research to listen to a scientist of my low caliber. Perhaps if I was more like Father they would take me seriously._

_May 6 1970_

_Still thinking about Mr. Spencer's Project W, I have decided to create my own child, isolating this new intelligence gene and making sure it is expressed in the child. I will need to find someone with acceptable genes in order to do this..._

_June ? 1970_

_I have spent a lot of my time down in the labs creating my intelligent child. In order to ensure that the child has the intelligence gene, I used my family's ancestor, Veronica's DNA and merged it with my own. Now, the child grows down in the labs. If this works, people will speak of me the way they did of Veronica and Father! I will have saved the Ashford name!_

_July 24 1970_

_The embryo has divided into twins, one boy and one girl. I only hope that this female child will be Veronica incarnate!_

_March 28 1971_

_Alfred and Alexia were born only a week ago and already Alexia has shown exceptional intelligence. Alfred seems to only be slightly above average, pity...at least I have Alexia to work with..._

The rest of the pages detailed the horrible mutations and work that Alexander used for his experimentation. Lab reports and daily logs listed the different types of treatments and injections he had given the embryo while it was still in its early stages.

Alfred's legs felt like jelly, his knees buckled under him and he collapsed to the floor, dropping the book. His eyes fixed on the pages in horror. He and Alexia were...accidents? Byproducts of an experiment created to help his father's reputation? How could he do that to them? To Alexia? How dare he lie to them!

He closed his eyes and put his head into his hands. They were freaks. Abominations. A product of inbreeding. They were already so isolated from the world because of their intelligence and now this? With trembling hands, Alfred put the diary back amongst all the other documents. Now that he had found out the secret, he almost wished he hadn't.

* * *

He couldn't sleep. Most of the night had been spent tossing and turning, unable to find an adequate position to sleep in. The words of the documents detailing his creation flashed across his mind over and over again, not allowing his mind to shut off so that he could sleep. How could Alexander not tell them about this? Were he and Alexia really nothing more then a way to cover up his lack of achievements?

After turning one more time in his bed and not finding comfort, Alfred kicked off the covers and stepped onto the cold floor. He had to speak with Alexia. She wouldn't be thrilled about being woken up at this hour but he needed this. It was the only way he'd be able to clear his mind and get any amount of sleep.

Though he was used to the mansion being cold due its location in the arctic, he shivered violently as he tip-toed out of his room and toward Alexia's. As he moved, the wooden boards moaned under his weight and he froze so that he could listen. Nothing but empty silence could be heard. Satisfied that no one had heard him, he continued toward Alexia's room.

He slowly opened her door, making sure that the sound wouldn't alert anyone to his activities. He moved into the room and sighed. The bright moon spilled into the dark room, falling perfectly onto Alexia as she slept in her bed. She looked angelic in the moonlight, her golden hair looking like a halo around her head. The vision of her like this took his breath away.

"Alexia," Alfred said softly, almost not wanting to awaken her from her peaceful sleep.

"Alfred?"

"Alexia," he whispered, shutting the door behind him with a click. He quickly kneeled beside her bed, taking her hand in his own. "I'm sorry to have awaken you."

"My dear, Alfred," Alexia said, groggily, still waking up. She propped herself up on her elbows. "What is the matter?"

"I have discovered something secret," Alfred leaned forward, his eyes bulging. He leaned close so that he could whisper in her ear. "Something terrible."

Alexia tilted her head to the side. "Oh?"

Alfred nodded, still speaking in a whisper. "Something about father. I just have to tell you."

"Lie with me," Alexia scooted over to make room in the bed for Alfred. He quickly slipped under the covers, thankful to be warm again. He snuggled into the bed, pulling the covers tightly around him and got comfortable. Alexia was watching him, waiting patiently.

"Remember how I asked for your family gemstone?"

"Yes."

"I found a room in the lower parts of the labs," Alfred explained. He scooted as close as he could to Alexia, glad that he could finally share this with her. "I could only access it by using all three of the family's gemstones. But I finally found out why it was hidden so."

"Go on," Alexia said, the spark of curiosity burning in her sky blue eyes.

"You and I were an experiment. Father combined his DNA with Veronica's and -"

"What are you saying?" Alexia's voice was harsh.

"Father lied to us. He genetically engineered us to be intelligent to improve his reputation in Umbrella. He is using us Alexia!"

"How dare you say that about father!" Alexia snapped, slapping the side of his face. "He would never do something like that!"

"Alexia, please," Alfred said, eyes welling up with tears. He held her hand and kissed her palm. "Please listen to me! I have proof! I found father's old journal!"

Alexia stared at him, her face hardening. "Show me."

Alfred jumped out of bed and made his way over to Alexia's closet. He quickly looked through it and pulled out her favorite robe for her to wear. Grasping her hand, he helped his sister out of bed and into her robe. "We will need a flashlight."

"I've got one here," Alexia picked it up off her side table and clicked it on.

The twins moved silently through the dark hall. Alfred paused to go back into his room and retrieve all the gemstones before they headed down the stairs to the labs. In almost no time at all they reached the hidden hallway that led to the secret basement room. Alfred took Alexia's hand and led the way to the door. Showing her how to use the gemstones as a key, Alfred inserted all of them into their correct indentations and pushed open the door.

"What is that smell?" Alexia asked, crinkling her nose in disgust. Alfred swept the beam of the flashlight to the corner of the room where Veronica's remains lay. His sister dropped his hand and took cautious steps to the coffin. When she finally looked over the edge of it, she gasped in surprise.

"That's the great Veronica," Alfred said, reaching for her and pulling her away from the disgusting remains. He didn't want her to be near it for too long because it was not worthy to be in her presence.

Alexia's eyes were wide as she followed Alfred away from the coffin. She looked somewhat upset so he quickly went to where he left Alexander's notes and papers. He took the journal and flipped to the entries in the the back.

"Here," Alfred held out the journal to her. "It's in the last couple pages. His lab notes are in the back as well."

Alexia roughly pulled it out of his hands and shoved the flashlight toward him. He held it so that she could read the pages, careful to make sure that no shadow fell onto them. She needed to see this herself. Alfred watched her as she read it, her eyes rapidly flying over the words.

Though Alexia kept her face emotionless, Alfred could see a change in her as she read the pages and the lab reports. A darkness had filled her normally bright eyes, a darkness that looked as if it reach further then just anger at their father.

"Alright," Alexia's eyes flashed dangerously. She gave her brother a maniacal smile, one that she often wore when experimenting on helpless test subjects only this one seemed permanent. He had never seen such a drastic change in her and it scared him. "My dear Alfred, this is what we are going to do..."

**Oh, how I love the Ashfords! I might do a second part to this if I have time...but for now, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!**


	2. Chapter II

**Thanks to those of you who read and reviewed the first part of this!**

**Warning: Just a heads up, this chapter contains disturbing imagery.**

The Beginning of the End

Part 2

Alfred skipped down the empty hallway, giddy as a small child on Christmas morning. Tonight was the night. Tonight, he and Alexia would carry out the plans that they took so long to perfect. Tonight, they would murder their father, Alexander Ashford. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it, oh no, he deserved _everything_ that was coming to him. He brought it upon himself and it was time he faced the consequences of his actions.

The night Alfred had shown his twin the secret room in the basement was the night this had all started. Appalled by the realization that they were the manufactured results of an attempt to revive the Ashford legacy, the two of them retired to Alexia's room and plotted their revenge. After staying up all night, Alexia finally came to the decision that she would experiment on him, just like their father experimented on them. Although he wasn't too keen on the idea of using their father as a test subject, Alfred would do whatever his Queen wanted him to do.

During the weeks since their discovery, Alexia had thrown herself into her work. Besides her usual research on the T-Virus, Alexia began taking samples of the Progenitor Virus and mixing it with the DNA of a queen ant, which created a whole new strain of the T-Virus that she called Veronica. This Veronica Virus was exceptionally more powerful then the original T-Virus they had obtained from the facility in Arklay, and Alexia felt it was worthy of being put into use.

However, the more she obsessed over the creation of this new virus, the more a darkness grew inside her. She became a different person, one that Alfred wasn't entirely sure he liked. Alexander had noticed this change in his daughter as well and tried to get her to take a break from all the virus work but she vehemently refused. She began snapping at anyone and everyone who disturbed her work and spent little to no time outside the labs. Her life became the new T-Veronica Virus, leaving no room for Alfred.

He tried hard not to let this bother him and instead focus on how good things would be as soon as they completed their revenge. With their father out of the way, Alfred was sure Alexia would return to normal. She wouldn't spend so many long hours in the lab away from him, toiling away on the research of different viruses. They would go back to playing on their carousel and having picnics all afternoon long, just the two of them. It was his dream, his paradise, his perfect reality. It was so close within his reach that he could barely contain himself.

Upon reaching his destination, Alfred stopped skipping and scanned the hallways around him, looking to see if anyone was watching. True, it was late Sunday afternoon and none of the other scientists should be there but he had to be sure no one saw him. Alexia would be severely displeased if someone got in the way of their plans for the evening.

Reassured that no one was around, the boy pulled a key from his jacket that Alexia gave him earlier and unlocked the door to the Chemical Containment Closet. Rows and rows of glass containers of all different shapes and sizes lined the large storage closet. The contents of the containers varied in colors and textures with complex looking names that Alfred couldn't even begin to pronounce. He turned on the light and quietly shut the door behind him.

He traced his fingers along the edge of the shelves, reading the labels as he looked for the very specific tranquilizer she asked for. It wasn't the usual one given to human test subjects before they were put on Alexia's lab table. When she usually experimented on test subjects, she used chloroform on them so that they would be completely unconscious and unable to resist in any way. But, Alexia wanted their father conscious enough to understand exactly what was happening to him but without the ability to resist. A type of "dissociative anesthesia" she called it.

Ah! Ketamine!

Alfred stopped, the tips of his fingers resting just along the top of the label. The boy smiled widely, glad he was able to complete the task Alexia had assigned to him. He took the small bottle from its place on the shelf and slipped it into the breast pocket of his jacket. It fit perfectly under the yellow sash that hung from his shoulder to his hip. Should he come across anyone, it would be perfectly disguised.

Poking his head out the door, Alfred checked once again to make sure the coast was clear. There was still no one around so he stepped out and quickly shut the door. The door closed with a small click and he made his way back to the stairwell.

Alfred got to Alexia's lab in no time at all. He found her in her lab, humming quietly to herself as she look into a microscope. He recognized the tune as the lullaby that the music box in their room played and this realization caused him to cease all his movements.

The melody and seeing Alexia, standing before a large window with the sun's setting rays took his breath away. The song fit Alexia in this state perfectly. So beautiful and soft, yet hauntingly mysterious, just like how her blue eyes and small smile haunted his thoughts and actions. The words to the lullaby he knew by heart and he sang them in his head, thinking just how similar the story of the Queen and King were to him and Alexia. He wanted more then anything to be her King, her knight in shining armor. He would do anything to please her.

"My dear Alfred," Alexia's singsong voice greeted him, turning away from the microscope. "Have you done what I've asked of you?"

"Yes, of course, Alexia," Alfred closed the distance between them and pulled the little bottle from his jacket. He presented it to her, holding it out in the palm of his hand.

"Wonderful job," Alexia took the container from his hand and kissed him gently on both cheeks.

Alfred smiled, his heart swelled with pride and his face warmed under her gentle touch. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I have made all the other preparations," Alexia replied, taking his hand into her own gloved one. "Come, let us go over the plan one more time."

She took Alfred toward the empty part of the lab table, away from the door. When they got to the end, Alfred placed both hands on Alexia's waist and lifted her up so that she could sit on the table. She smoothed her skirt, crossed her ankles, and folded her hands in her lap before nodding at him to sit beside her. He eagerly obliged.

"Now, my dear Alfred, let's begin. I will distract Mr. Harman while he is still cooking dinner," Alexia whispered, her blue eyes glittering.

"While you are busy with Mr. Harman, I will slip the dose of ketamine into Father's drink," Alfred said, swinging his legs as they dangled off the side of the lab table.

"Once the ketamine sets in and Mr. Harman leaves for the night, we will take Father down to the labs, into the room where he kept the Code: Veronica project hidden. Do you still have all the gemstones?"

"Yes, Alexia." He had kept the gemstones in the playroom for the "painting" that he was doing for their family. He actually had begun working on such a painting because Alexander had been questioning him about it everyday, nervously awaiting the time when he could get his diamond gemstone broach back. Thankfully, their father bought all the excuses Alfred and Alexia came up with for why he was taking so long on it.

"Excellent," she smiled at him. "Now, I am going to give you three samples of the virus. I need you to take them straight to the secret room and then close it. We can't have Father suspecting anything."

"Of course," Alfred nodded his head, glad to be charged with a new duty for his sister. "It is going to go wonderfully, Alexia. You are such a wonderful planner."

"My dear Alfred," Alexia gave him a warm smile, the darkness leaving her for just one moment. However the moment quickly passed and she pointed to three needles resting on the other end of the table near the microscope. Each of them were filled halfway with a liquid that had a purple or green hue, depending on what light the observer looked at it. The prism effect of light and color only added to the awe Alfred had for the complexities and intricacies of the virus she created.

"Once you are done there, go straight up to your room to change for dinner," Alexia instructed. Alfred nodded his head and jumped off the table before helping her down. He then took the three needles in his hands, careful not to drop them. He knew the dangers should he or she be be exposed directly to the virus. He took a small cloth from a bin on the lab station and wrapped then in it before slipping them into his pocket.

"Yes, Alexia," Alfred said, feeling giddy again. He smiled widely as he retreated out of the lab and back into the hall. Skipping once again, he went to their playroom, collected the gemstones and went downstairs to the secret room.

Alfred had only been there one other time since he had taken Alexia and he felt a nervous excitement to be there again. The second time he went there, he had cleared off the workstation and organized the papers and journals that were kept there. The coffin containing the mummified remains had been shut - he really couldn't bear the stench of the rotting thing - and he had brought down one of Alexia's work kits. He had also managed to move one of the inspection chairs, similar to the ones a person sat in when going to the dentist, into the room. He had done all this work late one night when Alexander was away on business and Alexia was keeping their butler busy. Once it was done, he felt immense satisfaction because the room was exactly the way Alexia wanted it to be set up for their experiment.

Carefully, he placed the three syringes onto the table next to Alexander's journal, the only thing he hadn't moved from its place. Even though it had been weeks since he had last read the entries the leather bound book contained, he could still see the words so clearly in his mind.

Suddenly a thought struck Alfred. Alexander had modified them while they were nothing more then an embryo and yet, only Alexia had received the potential of being a genius. It wasn't that Alfred wasn't smart, as a matter of fact, he was far beyond his peers in all of his studies but he just wasn't on the same level as his sister. They were equal in every way, except one and Alfred didn't understand why. Why couldn't he have been as intelligent as Alexia?

This notion caused something to hurt deep inside of Alfred. If he had been on the same level of intelligence as her, they both could be working in the labs together. They both could marvel in new discoveries and share in the triumphs of cracking new virus codes.

But now, Alfred was kept out of all of that. He had only a very basic knowledge of the viruses, and the more Alexia delved into them, the less he understood them. Trying to explain the viruses to Alfred often frustrated Alexia because he just couldn't follow their complicated formulas. No matter how hard he tried, they never fully made sense to him.

Though he hated to admit it, this unequal intelligence isolated her from him. She needed someone that could understand her at her intellectual level, something Alfred couldn't provide for her. Alfred bit his lip as tears started forming in his eyes. He loved his sister more then anything in the world and he knew that she loved him too but to a much lesser degree. Would Alexia love him more if he were of equal intelligence?

No wonder she couldn't care for him as much as he cared for her. He was inadequate! Alexia was the model of perfection and he was tainting her with his failure. She deserved someone better then him. Someone who could provide her with a complete connection, since Alfred had failed to do so.

The pain in his chest was to much to ignore now and his bottom lip was quivering. Consumed by a sudden wave of depression, Alfred fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. There was no one else around and he wept into the emptiness.

* * *

Alfred stood in nothing but his underwear before the full mirror in his room, leaning close to look at his reflection. His pale face was blotchy and his sky blue eyes were still red from how much he rubbed them. He took a washcloth from his nightstand and dipped it into the washbowl he had brought into his room. After wringing out the excess water, he ran the rag lightly over his features. Once he was done, he checked the mirror again. It had done little to hide the evidence of his earlier emotional outburst.

He sighed, knowing it wouldn't do much good to continue. He cried down in the secret room until he couldn't anymore. After a couple minutes of dry sobs, he picked himself up and went straight back to his room in shame. He didn't want anyone to know how weak he had been, breaking down and exposing his emotions. He was an Ashford, he should know better.

Glancing at the clock in his room, he bit his lip. Dinner was always served at seven sharp and it was quickly drawing nearer. Deciding that he would just deal with the questions about his appearance, he began to get ready.

He slipped into crisp white slacks and a clean white button up shirt. He tied an a thin white ascot around his neck, tucking it under his collar. He pulled on his blood red military jacket that he often wore as a symbol of his aristocratic heritage. Taking the sash off of his earlier jacket, the boy slipped it over his head and under his left arm. Finally, he put on his black leather shoes, looking very much the aristocratic Ashford he was. Fully dressed, Alfred turned to inspect his reflection in the mirror. While the outfit he had on did nothing to hide the redness in his face and eyes, it was staring to go away.

His blue eyes darted to the clock once more. It was almost a quarter to seven so he quickly gave his appearance a once over and then headed toward the kitchen to begin the first phase of their plan.

As he neared the kitchen, the wonderful smell of cooked food filled his nostrils. The kitchen was quite large for a house that size. It was a square room with an island countertop in the middle, surrounded by wooden stools. An old firewood oven took up one corner and a large refrigerator took up the wall opposite to it. Various herbs and spices were stacked in containers on the counters, adding a wide array of aromas to the kitchen's already wonderful smell.

Working away over the stove was the Ashford family butler, Scott Harman. He was a man in his mid-forties and he had served the Ashfords for many years now. His dark hair was peppered with grey strands and he wore rectangular glasses low on his nose. He always dressed in his finest suit, even when doing household chores such as cooking.

"Hello, Scott," Alfred greeted the butler, walking up to him. He pulled out a stool and sat down. Before him on the counter were three goblets and sets of silverware that immediately caught his interest. Which one of them would be the instrument to his father's demise?

"Good evening, Sir Alfred," Harman smiled at the boy over his shoulder. "You've come down to dinner early. Is Miss Alexia still working in the laboratory?"

Alfred sighed. "Yes, but I do hope she will be done soon. I haven't seen her much today."

Harman stopped fixing dinner and put a comforting hand on Alfred's shoulder. "I know Alexia's renewed interest in the virus has been difficult for you. But don't let it concern yourself too much. In due time, you will be working for Umbrella with her."

"If only it was sooner."

"Don't wish away your youth," Harman laughed, turning back to the chicken he had been fixing on the counter. "I don't think it was in the best interest of the two of you to begin virus research so soon. But Lord Alexander was adamant about getting Alexia started. To have her following in his footsteps filled him with such pride and I know that when you start working, he will be just as proud of you."

"I don't know about that."

"Whatever are you talking about?" Harman shook his head. "Your father loves you both."

The boy was about to answer when her voice, the most wonderful sound he ever heard, called to him.

"Alfred?"

He spun around in the stool to face Alexia's voice coming from the doorway. When his eyes took in her figure, Alfred took in a sharp intake of air. Alexia was dressed in a floor length purple gown, the trim made of small lace details. She had on her long silk gloves that went past her elbows and her long golden hair was brushed smoothly down her back.

_Beautiful_, Alfred thought to himself, letting out the breath he had been holding. She looked regal, just like the Queen he believed her to be.

"Good evening, Miss Alexia," Harman said warmly. "I trust all your research is going well?"

"Yes, thank you for asking," replied Alexia. She pulled out a stool and sat beside her twin brother. Alfred had still not taken his eyes off her, spellbound by how gracefully she moved. She placed the tip of one of her gloved fingers along the rim of the goblet closest to her. "Are these our cups for dinner?"

"Yes, I was going to pour the wine as soon as Lord Alexander arrived."

"May I do it?" Alfred asked, feeling Alexia place her hand into his lap. He felt her drop something light there and she squeezed his thigh gently. He dropped his own hand and his fingers landed on top of a smooth metal vial.

"Of course," Harman placed the opened bottle in front of the twins. "Remember to water down the ones for the two of you."

Both Alexia and Alfred nodded in unison and took the bottle carefully. Alexia arranged the cups in a line and began pouring the wine slowly. The first two goblets she filled only about a third of the way full, the last one she filled almost to the brim. She set down the bottle and grasped the two cups intended for her and her brother and took them over to Harman.

"Will you help me mix in the correct amount of water?" Alexia asked sweetly. She gave Harman the kindest smile that, if Alfred didn't know any better, he would have thought was genuine.

"Gladly," Harman took one of the goblets from her and took her into the side room off the edge of the kitchen that contained the sink.

Alfred watched them go and waited until he heard the door click to grasp the metal vial. He quickly unscrewed the top, careful not to loose any of the power; they would need the entire dose in order to make this work. Then, before he thought about it again, he dumped the contents into Alexander's drink.

The white powder sunk into the dark crimson liquid. Alfred used the metal vial to stir the liquid in order to fully dissolve the ketamine into the drink. He gave it a few quick stirs and pulled the vial out when he heard Alexia and Harman returning. In his haste to hide the metal capsule, it dropped into his lap, the few droplets of wine still on it stained his white pants.

"...so that's all you need to do," Harman was saying as he and Alexia reentered the kitchen.

"Thank you for showing me," Alexia graciously expressed her gratitude.

"Of course," Harman placed the goblets down and picked up the large dinner trays. "I'm going to set up the rest of the table. No sneaking bites until dinner is served, understood?"

The twins nodded in unison and Harman smiled before leaving to set up the dinner table in the dining room.

Alexia walked over to Alfred and leaned close to him. "Did you slip it in?" She whispered, her lips gently fluttering over his ear.

Alfred shivered at the ghost of her breath on his skin. "Yes, Alexia."

Alexia smiled at him and grasped his hands in her own. She pulled him forward, kissed him quickly, and then turned on her heel to walk to the other room. Alfred smiled, feeling his heart skip a beat, and followed after her.

The Ashford's dining room held a long, dark oak table with a long table runner down the middle. Three dark chairs were placed at one end of the table, the same place where Harman was placing the large plates for dinner. The rest of the room had statues of knights holding shields with the Ashford Crest on them.

"This dinner looks wonderful, Scott," Alexander exclaimed, walking into the room. He was also dressed finely in a suit jacket made of dark sapphire blue silk and a stiff white shirt with a high collar. He had on a blue ascot, similar to Alfred's that finished off his look.

"Thank you, sir," Harman said, pulling out the chair at the head of the oak table for Alexander. He then moved to the right and pulled out the chair for Alexia. "Now if everything is to your liking, I will be off. Good evening."

"How is the research going, Alexia?" Alexander asked, taking a small sip of his wine once everyone was settled around the dinner table and Harman had left the room.

Alfred held his breath as his father sipped the wine. True, he shouldn't be able to detect the ketamine but a thousand worries flooded Alfred's mind anyway. Would he notice a slight difference in the consistency of his drink? What if the ketamine hadn't fully dissolved into the alcohol? Would the powder have settled to the bottom? However, Alexander didn't seem fazed and Alfred was able to relax.

"It is going well, father," Alexia replied, also watching him intently. "The new strain of the T-Virus is continuing to develop nicely."

"This is great news," Alexander commented, leaning forward in his chair. He smiled widely. "I glad to hear that it has gone well. Mr. Spencer will be pleased and I look forward to see how it will affect our facility."

_And your reputation_, Alfred thought bitterly as he cut into his steak a little more violently then he should have. The knife click loudly on the plate and the oak table shifted a bit from the force.

"Alfred!" Alexander turned to look at him. He frowned slightly. "Where are your manners?"

"Sorry, father," Alfred mumbled into his plate. Alexia _tsk_-ed and he felt his cheeks warm under her disapproving stare.

"Please tell me, Alexia," Alexander resumed eating his dinner. "Have you thought anymore about what I said earlier, about taking a break?"

"I have thought about it," Alexia replied slowly. "After this phase of my research is complete, I will take some time off of work."

Alexander nodded in approval. "Good. I am worried that such deep devotion to your work is not healthy for someone your age."

Alfred looked at Alexia and saw rage bubble up in her eyes for a brief second before she quickly controlled it. However, she was unable to keep the sharpness out of her voice as she said, "thank you for your concern."

Their father took a hold of his goblet again and took a long sip. Once again the twins held their breath, and for the second time, Alexander continued on with his dinner.

The rest of the meal passed with idle conversation about Alexia's virus that bored Alfred to no end. It bothered him how they ignored him with they talked business but he knew better then to disrupt them. Coming up with a virus that could rival that of Doctor Marcus and his two apprentices Birkin and Wesker in Arklay was the top priority of this facility. He only hoped that, when he began working for Umbrella, Alexander would show him the same pride and interest that he showed Alexia.

Since they rarely acknowledged his presence, Alfred spent the rest of dinner watching his father closely for signs of the drug working. He heard from Alexia that the drug would be fast acting and the symptoms would show up so suddenly that Alexander wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Five minutes later, it happened. Alexander suddenly dropped his fork and it clattered to on the china plate. He grasped his head and groaned loudly, sounding very much in pain.

"Father?" Alexia asked, sounding perfectly concerned. "Are you alright?"

"So...oor...ee, kid...sss," Alexander said, trying to stand. "Imnot..." He almost fell over, but grasped the edge of the chair to stable himself.

Alexia jumped up and rushed to his side. "Here father, let me help you." She slipped her arm around his waist and tried to stabilize him as he suddenly swayed to the side. He moved as if he were standing on an ice rink rather then their hardwood floors. "Alfred, please."

Alfred quickly stood and took a hold of his father's other arm. Alexander slipped and Alfred braced himself against the sudden weight. He groaned and rested his head against his son's.

"Come on," Alexia said, as their he slipped further into oblivion. "My dear Alfred, let's begin."

Alfred nodded and the two of them began half dragging, half leading their father down to the labs beneath the mansion.

* * *

Alfred paced anxiously around the secret room, holding the scalpel that he found in the toolkit he left down here. He had been down there for almost four hours now, waiting for Alexander to finally regain consciousness. Alexia was upstairs, working to make sure that, when Harman arrived to cook the morning meal, it would look as if the twins had gone straight to bed after dinner and Alexander had packed some things and left.

The boy sighed and changed directions. Getting Alexander down to the labs was slightly harder then they had originally expected. He finally lost consciousness at the tops of the stairs and they had to drag him the rest of the way to the room. Alfred had tried to do it himself so that Alexia wouldn't have to exert herself but he was too skinny to drag a full grown man that far. When they finally did reach the room, they propped him up into the examination chair and secured him with his hands behind his back using the thick leather restraints.

Alfred wasn't sure why they were needed, but Alexia warned him that they were supposed to be a precaution. She had never tested this virus before and she wasn't sure how their father would react to it. It was possible that he would mutate and it was necessary to have the restraints to hinder him enough for them to escape should he become dangerous.

He let out another large sigh and began pacing in the other direction. His nerves were getting at him. What if someone discovered what they had done? What if Alexander did mutate and harm Alexia? Alfred knew he couldn't let that happen. As if to make sure nothing happened, he switched his grip on the scalpel, holding it firmly at the base in an attacking position.

"Alfred?" Alexander's weak voice was no higher then a whisper.

Alfred turned around to face him. He was facing Alfred, head hanging limply on his neck as if it were snapped. The normally warm blue eyes were glazed over, empty but still focused intently on the boy's face. Alfred shivered. With how much he was leaning against the restraints and the awkward angle at which his head rested made him look more like a dead corpse than a live human.

"What is going on?" Again his voice was just a ghost of a whisper.

"I am waiting for Alexia," Alfred explained, walking closer to Alexander but avoiding meeting his eyes.

"Waiting? But...why?"

Alfred didn't answer but instead began pacing again. Suddenly his stomach felt as if it was going to drop out of his chest. He didn't know what to say and he held the scalpel closer to him as if seeking it for comfort. Oh, he really wished Alexia would get down here now.

Alexander rolled his head back and suddenly seemed more alert. "How did you find this?" He made a motion as if he wanted to stand and then he looked down at his bonds. His eyes narrowed and he got some red in his cheeks. "Alfred! What is the meaning of this?"

Alfred shrugged, trying to ignore the butterflies that were angrily flying around in his stomach. "I found this room when Alexia was in the labs. She told me to find something interesting to do."

"Alfred, you will release me right now! I know I shouldn't have let you borrow my gemstone! But no, I thought that you might be doing something worth while with your time rather then going around bothering Alexia in the labs again or daydreaming. When will you grow up and be like your sister-?"

"Why didn't you make me as smart as Alexia?" Alfred cut off him off. His father's words pierced him like a knife, stabbing him perfectly in the heart. "Why am I not like her?"

"Is that what this is about?" Alexander asked, a horrified expression on his face. "You think I purposefully made you different from her?"

"I've seen your books and lab tests," Alfred motioned to them, stacked neatly on the table. He felt tears burn in his eyes and he pointed the scalpel at the bound Alexander. "YOU made me less than her. YOU wanted Veronica incarnate!"

"Alfred," Alexander said softly. He could detect a pleading note in his tone. "I didn't try to make you less intelligent. It just happened. Biology still trumps whatever experiments we do."

"It isn't fair!" Alfred screamed, stomping his feet. "She doesn't love me! I am not good enough for her! You made me unworthy of her love! It's all your fault!"

"Alfred, please," Alexander was openly showing his distress. "Don't think that way, please. Just untie me and we can discuss this together!"

Alfred glared at him. "No."

"...Alfred?"

"ARGH!" Alfred lunged at Alexander, a sudden rush of adrenaline filling him, and drove the scalpel into his left eye. Alexander let out a sharp cry, screaming in agony as blood spurted from the wound. Alfred pulled the knife out and thrust it down again, piercing Alexander's other eye. He continued to stab, releasing all the hurt and frustration he felt. It was Alexander's fault! He ruined the perfect life Alfred could be having with Alexia! He was what caused the isolation between them! He ruined everything!

Blood flowed freely over the wounds, spilling all over Alexander's face and staining his white shirt. He flinched with each pierce of the scalpel, moaning and crying but Alfred didn't care. With one particularly violent thrust, flakes of blood splattered in Alfred's face, effectively blinding him.

Then, just as suddenly as he began his attack, Alfred stopped and took a couple steps back. His chest heaved as he took in deep gulps of air, steading himself on the counter behind him. He looked down at the warm blood that stained his hands and the sleeves of his jacket in alarm. What had he just done?

His mouth dropped as he stared at his father, who was still moaning horribly on the examination chair. Alexander's face was covered entirely with blood and his mouth hung open in a silent scream of pure pain. On the middle of his face, where his eyes should have been, were two large gaping, bloody holes. Alfred turned away, feeling his dinner rise up in his stomach at the sight.

"Alfred? Are you there?"

Alfred spun around to the door. "Yes, Alexia. Please, don't come in yet!"

"Is everything ok? I heard you screaming-"

"Please, Alexia! Just wait a moment."

Alfred quickly scanned the room. He couldn't allow her to see the mess he had made. There had to be a rag or something that he could-

Aha! Alexnder's jacket!

He used the scalpel to quickly cut a strip from the bloody clothing. Taking the strip, he gently laid it over the areas where Alexander's eyes once were and secured it behind his head. The fabric was quickly soaked with blood but the blindfold looked much better than the deformed face.

"Alfred, what is going on?" Alexia asked impatiently.

"You may come in," Alfred called to her, turning toward the door and putting himself between Alexia and the bloody mess behind him.

Alexia opened it slowly and walked in. As soon as her eyes fell on him, she stopped moving and her mouth hung open. "What happened?"

"Oh, Alexia!" Alfred wanted to reach out and hold her hands but didn't want to soil her with the blood. He couldn't bare to see the crimson liquid ruining her beauty. "I'm so sorry for this!"

"What...happened?"

Alfred gulped. "He just started saying things..."

Alexia pushed her way passed her twin and stared down at Alexander. Her eyes locked onto him and she began circling him slowly. He had expected her to be horrified at what he had done and scold him for acting so rash and brutishly. But the chastising never came. In fact, from the look on her face, Alfred could almost say that she looked intrigued, impressed even.

"Alexia..." Alexander gasped. "Please..."

"Now, Father," Alexia whispered softly. "Don't worry. I won't leave you like this for too much longer."

"Why..."

Alexia stared at him. "We found your journals. We know how you experimented on us, fixed us to be child geniuses. You never cared about us. All you wanted was a way to fix your tarnished reputation."

"That...wasn't..." Alexander's voice was broken up with gasps. He lost a lot of blood and Alfred could tell that he was teetering on the brink of unconsciousness.

"Alfred," Alexia turned from him. Her sky blue eyes glittered with a dark delight and a smile spread across her lips. "My dear, Alfred, please hand me the syringe."

"Of course, Alexia." Alfred took the needle and handed it to her, needle pointed away from her. She took it and held it carefully, as if she were holding the most precious thing in the whole world.

"Alexia, please..." Alexander said weakly.

"Oh, Father," Alexia leaned down and caressed his face, mockingly soothing despite the situation. "Hold still, this won't hurt a bit."

Alexander began struggling against his bonds, pulling against them in a frenzy. "No! Please...no!"

"Be honored, Father. You get to be the first person to receive the power of my new T-Veronica Virus." Alexia quickly but expertly slipped the point of the needle into Alexander's neck and pushed the plunger down.

Alfred watched closely as the green and purple liquid disappeared into Alexander's veins. Almost as soon as it was administered, Alexander went completely ridged and then leaned against the leather straps, completely unmoving. "Is he...dead?"

Alexia frowned, looking slightly disappointed. "I don't know..." She went over and put two fingers to his neck, checking for a pulse. "I don't feel any-"

Suddenly, Alexander twitched and let out an inhuman roar. His body was shaking with violent quakes now and he continued to scream, sounding more like some kind of animal rather than a person. Alfred felt like he was about to jump out of his skin as he watched in horror at the scene that unfolded before him.

Alexander's skin began to change. It lost its human flesh tone and became a sickly green color. The muscles of his chest convulsed and ripped open, exposing the bloody organs beneath the skin. There was a loud cracking noise that sounded like broken bones and a large appendage shot out of Alexander's back. The new leg swung out wildly, knocking over the coffin and spilling out the remains.

"Alexia!" Alfred yelled, reaching for her as another appendage sprouted and almost crashed into her. She stayed rooted in her spot, fixated on how the virus was working. Her blue eyes were wide and the color had drained from her face. When she didn't move, he grasped her hand and pulled her away from Alexander, fearful that her interest in seeing the continuation of this transformation would end up getting her hurt. "We have to leave! Now!"

She seemed to respond to his yelling and the two of them ran out of the room and slammed door shut behind them. The special lock of the door clicked and bolted shut. They could still hear shouts and screams from the room and heavy thuds as the creature continued to destroy things. Alfred rested his head on the door, knowing it was built to withstand all kinds of trauma, and relaxed.

"Now we just have to hope no one comes down here," Alexia muttered, still wide-eyed.

"I only found it by accident," Alfred reminded her. "No one comes down here."

Alexia nodded her head and then threw her arms around her twin's neck. "We did it, my dear Alfred."

Alfred felt warmth spread from where her body was pressed against his and it filled him. He melted into her touch and pulled her as tight as he possibly could into himself. They remained like this for a few long, blessed moments before she finally pulled away.

"Come," she said, taking his hand. "We have to get you out of those clothes and clean you up. Mr. Harman will be here in a few hours and we don't want him getting suspicious just yet."

"Yes, Alexia," Alfred nodded, following her lead to go back to the main house.

Right as they reached the corner of the hallway and into the main parts of the lab, Alexia paused and looked back at the secret room. Alfred stopped, curious as to what she was doing. Her head was tilted a bit and he wondered if she was listening for their father. From this distance, Alexander's screams and noises were completely muffled.

He was about to open his mouth to say something when she whispered, "Thank you, Father. You've helped me so much with my new virus." Then, without a second glance back, she marched up the stairs, pulling Alfred along with her.

Alfred smiled when they got to his bedroom and Alexia began starting a bath for him. All of this was done! They had gotten their revenge and now things would turn for the better. Sure, there would be questions and they would have a lot of explaining to do, but he knew, as long as Alexia was here with him, they could handle anything.

**Well, I hope that wasn't too violent... =/ I was worried that I had overdone it. I decided to include the part with Alfred because I had always wondered why Nosferatu had a blindfold on and this was one explanation that seemed to fit. Also, I wrote this at 3 am so there might be some grammar mistakes. If you notice any glaring ones, please let me know.**

**Other than that, hopefully it was entertaining! Reviews please? =D**


	3. Chapter III

**Thank you so much for all the positive feedback on this! I really appreciate all of you who have been reading this story as it is probably my favorite!**

The Beginning of the End

Part 3

Alfred pressed against the window as the Ashford private jet plane began its descent into the Umbrella Antarctic Base. He instantly felt his heart begin to beat faster in his chest as the base and the landing pad came into view. It had been close to six months since he had last been in the facility and he couldn't contain his excitement at the thought of being back there with Alexia. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small folded piece of paper so that he may read it over one more time.

_My Dear Alfred,_

_I'm write to you with wonderful news! I have made great progress with the development of my T-Veronica Virus and am happy to say that I am almost finished with it entirely! I have come up with a plan to test the effectiveness of the virus which I will explain at another time._

_In other matters, Mr. Harman decided to call off the search for Father a month ago because he fears that keeping the search going when there is such little hope of finding him will dampen our spirits now that we approach the holiday season. Silly man to think such a thing matters to us but we must keep up the pretense!_

_I'm sorry that I have been neglectful in keeping up with writing letters but the research has been taking up so much of my time. I trust that this letter finds you in good health and that school is going well._

_I eagerly look forward to your arrival for the winter holiday._

_Love Always,_

_Alexia_

Alfred folded the letter and slipped it back into his coat pocket. He'd read the letter over many times since Alexia set it to him three weeks ago because it gave him renewed enthusiasm for returning home for the winter break.

It had been six months, six long and lonely months that Alfred was without his sister, his Queen. Shortly after they killed their father, Alfred returned to England to begin the fall semester of his schooling. He could only bear to be apart from her that long because they were constantly exchanging letters, sending and receiving one every week. But this semester had been different. Alexia wrote him far less frequently and he was lucky if he received a letter once a month. Her reason was always the same; something about the T-Veronica Virus taking up her time.

But this most recent letter had said she was almost done with it! Alfred smiled at the thought. Perhaps now they would be able to be together the way he had always dreamed to be.

However, he couldn't deny that the T-Veronica Virus helped them to escape all of the scrutiny that fell on the Ashfords after Alexander's disappearance. Immediately following their experiment, Alexia began spending more time in the labs, a phenomenon Alfred hadn't thought was possible. Disheartened by how violently the virus reacted, Alexia sequestered herself to figure out what went wrong with her Veronica Virus.

Alfred didn't understand why she was so upset over the failure of the virus to actually come of anything. He was under the impression she created the Veronica Virus specifically to get rid of Alexander, not actually improve him and grant him some power. When he tried to talk to her about it, she would just tell him that he didn't understand.

Mr. Harman and the rest of the employees believed that this was her way of grieving over the disappearance of Alexander. Throwing herself into her work caused Alfred to become depressed in turn, again helping with their guise since neither of them could find any sort of remorse for what they did.

Not that anyone knew what they did; Alexia's plan worked like a charm. As soon as they finished with Alexander down in the secret room, the twins went back to their rooms and pretended to sleep. When Harman went into Alexander's room the next morning, he believed-just as Alexia had said he would-that his master lost his mind and ran away. Umbrella security personal were sent out to search but no one could find any trace of him in the frozen tundra.

The plane touched down and Alfred undid his seat belt so that he could exit as quickly as possible. He hoped that, as soon as he left the plane, Alexia would be waiting for him there on the platform. Outside the arctic wind blew gently but other than that, it was a beautifully calm evening. Immediately his eyes skimmed the area and fell onto Harman who stood waiting for him.

"Good evening, Lord Alfred!" Harman said as he stepped off the plane, pulling the boy into a quick embrace. "How was the flight?"

"It went well," Alfred said, hastily pulling away from Harman so that he could look around. "Where is Alexia?"

Harman gave him a half smile. "She wanted to come but she retired an hour ago because she worked all day and needed rest. She did ask me to send her regards though."

Alfred's heart sank in his chest like a stone. "She's not here?" He hoped that Alexia would be there waiting for him with open arms.

Harman patted him on the back and began to lead him toward the facility. "Let's get you inside. You will be able to see her tomorrow, I'm sure. She's missed you dearly."

"I can't wait," Alfred said, feeling hope seeping back into his heart. Tomorrow he would see her and everything would be right in the world.

* * *

A sharp crack split the late afternoon air. He lowered the rifle and his blue eyes glared at the untouched target. Taking a deep breath, he raised the rifle, making sure to line it up with his shoulder properly this time. He pulled the trigger just as he blew the air from his lungs. Again, the shot missed, burying into the snow a few feet from the base of the bush that was aiming at.

Alfred grunted and shot three times in rapid succession, each missing the bush that was his intended target. Finally giving up, he let out a yell and threw the gun to the floor where it sunk slowly into the snow. He was a lousy shot when frustrated and missing the damn bush multiple times didn't help ease the tension in his system.

He was somewhere between incredibly angry and incredibly depressed. At times he just wanted to run through the halls of the Antarctic Base, kicking and screaming, and other times he wanted to run to his room and curl up in bed with Alexia's arms around him. But he knew that the latter wouldn't happen any time soon.

In the few days since he'd arrived at the base, he'd only seen Alexia briefly for dinner each night. She would arrive to dinner late, eat quickly, and then return to work on her Veronica Virus.

Alfred looked at the gun by his feet, still buried under a few inches of snow. If he left it there much longer, it would get wet and be ruined. He reached down and picked it up. As he did the engraving on the side caught the sunlight and reflected the word to him.

_Ashford_.

He was the head of the Ashford family now. He was in charge of the well being of the estate and the base. He needed to make sure that Alexia was given her due respect to help the Ashford reputation. All of that fell to him now.

The boy shouldered the gun and begrudgingly began to head back to the main house. He originally came out to hunt because doing so generally made him feel better but today, even his favored hobby could do little to lighten his dark mood. Only she could help him. Only his Queen could make him feel happy and alive again.

"But she's busy," he muttered under his breath, a little puff forming before his face. He pulled his thick jacket tighter around him to keep out of the cold air. Alexia's arms wrapped tightly around him would be better than this stupid jacket any day.

He reached the house and shook the snow from his clothes before stepping into the main hall. His eyes traveled over the intricate details of the marble floors and the paintings on the walls. There was nothing there to even indicate that the owner of the house had disappeared. No flowers for condolences, no memorial pictures, nothing. The only difference was the newly added Christmas decorations that adorned the house.

"Lord Alfred?" Harman called, stepping into the entry way. The butler had a string of garland around his neck and some fake snow attached to his clothes from the decorations he was putting up. He insisted that Christmas go on as usual in an attempt to keep Alfred's spirits up. Harman knew just how much Alexia's dismissal of him hurt the boy and he was doing all he could to ease his sadness.

"Hello," Alfred replied dully. He put his gun down against the door, near the umbrella holder.

"Did you get anything?" the butler asked, walking over to help his new master out of his winter coat.

"No," Alfred said, shrugging out of it. He didn't want to talk to Harman at the moment so he kept his head down and began up the stairs. "I didn't find anything."

"Your dinner will be ready in five minutes," Harman said, trying to keep the conversation going. "It's your favorite, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding."

Alfred perked up. That was also Alexia's favorite meal! He abruptly turned around, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Have you already told Alexia?"

Harman made a face like he was hopping the boy wouldn't ask that question. "No," he said slowly. "I already brought her dinner in the lab ten minutes ago. She said she was very busy..."

"Oh," Alfred couldn't hide any of the disappointment that filled his voice and features. He turned away from Harman and resumed going upstairs.

"It'll be ready at-"

"Will you bring it to my room?" Alfred sighed, pausing on the stairs. "I am not feeling well and I would like to get to bed early."

"Of course," Harman said, sounding defeated. "I'll have it up soon."

"Thank you," Alfred said softly and continued upstairs. He heard Harman going back to work, sighing as he did. Harman was trying very hard to make him happy and though Alfred appreciated it, it wasn't what he needed. He needed Alexia.

Alfred reached his room and threw himself facedown onto his bed. Why did she spend so much time with that virus? It was all Alexander's fault, he was the one that introduced her to Umbrella, taking her away from him. If he never pushed her into it, she wouldn't be so obsessed with it.

He moaned loudly and rolled over on his bed, taking the covers with him. If he thought about it hard enough, he could vaguely imagine the covers being Alexia's arms around him.

"Sir?" There was a soft knock at the door. "Alfred? I have your dinner here."

"Come in," Alfred pushed himself out of the covers and sat up properly on the bed. He didn't want Harman to see him wallowing in sadness.

"Here's your dinner," Harman said, opening the door and resting the tray down on the bed in front of him. Alfred crawled across the mattress to the tray and sat cross legged in front of it. The wonderful smell of roast beef filled the room but Alfred couldn't find his appetite.

"This looks wonderful," Alfred said quietly, nodding to the food. "Thank you."

"Of course," Harman said warmly, sitting beside him on the bed. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No," Alfred replied. He forced a smile onto his face, hoping that it would somewhat convince Harman that he was well enough to be left alone. "I'm fine."

"Do you want me to stay here with you?"

The boy shook his head. "No, I just want to be alone."

Harman again sighed heavily and stood up. "Alright. I will be downstairs if you need me. Good evening."

Alfred watched as Harman bowed slightly before leaving the room and shutting the door. For the first time in his life, he ate dinner completely alone.

* * *

He stared idly around the empty playroom, extremely bored. _Something_ in here would keep him from dying of boredom.

Right?

His sky blue eyes swept over the different toys in the room. There was a carousel, a chess table, art supplies, books, an ant enclosure, snow globe, Alexia's dolls, and his toy soldiers, but none of them caught caught his interest. Outside the winds were howling and snow was falling from the sky, keeping him trapped indoors. Days like this really made him miss their home on Rockfort Island. At least there he could go outside and enjoy nature when Alexia was busy.

Perhaps he could go see Alexia? Now that he thought about it, he hadn't actually seen her in a week. More than that even...He had tried but she wouldn't say anything to him other than 'Not now, Alfred' or 'I'm busy' or 'Really, Alfred, can you find something else to do?'. It happened so often that he just gave up, really adding to his depressed mood.

"Oh, Alexia," Alfred mumbled out loud to the deserted room. As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn't. The lack of response that he received from the room only reminded him just how alone he was.

Alfred sat down heavily on one of the chairs next to the chess table and rested his chin on the edge so that the chess pieces were eye level. He flicked the black King that was situated in front of him with his finger and it fell over with a loud clattering noise.

"Checkmate," he whispered.

Suddenly an idea struck him. He ran over to Alexia's dolls and picked up her favorite one, smiling as he did. Alexia liked this life sized doll so much because it looked like her. It had the same long golden hair, bright blue eyes, and it wore a purple dress similar to one that Alexia owned.

"Alexia," Alfred said to the doll, holding it under the arm joints. "Would you like to play chess with me?"

"_Of course, Alfred!_" Alfred replied for the doll, making his voice as high as possible. "_Nothing would please me more!_"

"Wonderful! You can be the white pieces," Alfred said, happily placing the doll on the chair opposite the black pieces. Once the doll was settled, he took the doll's hand and used it to push one of the white pawns forward. "Now it's my turn!"

Alfred went over to his side and sat down, opting to move one of the knights forward instead of the pawns. "What did you think of that, Alexia?"

"_Ah, very clever, my dear Alfred._"

Alfred smiled warmly at the doll and went to its side. Grasping its wrist, he helped the doll move another piece, this time the bishop across the board, capturing his knight.

"Such a bold move, Alexia." The boy moved back to his side of the chess board. He leaned forward and considered his next move. "I am not sure what to do next."

"_I'm sure you will think of something..._"

Alfred laughed. "I'm just so happy that you are taking the time to play with me. I have really missed you."

"_And I, you._"

"Alexia, may I ask you something?" Alfred said feeling color reach his cheeks. He moved a pawn up a space and helped 'Alexia' move her rook.

"_Yes, Alfred. You may ask anything_."

"Do you love me?" He kept his eyes down, unable to look at the glass eyes of the doll in front of him. "I mean...I am nothing compared to you...who is perfect in almost every way. Despite my inferiority, do you love me?"

"_My dear Alfred, you know I love you, more than anything._"

Alfred jumped from his chair and grabbed the doll, hugging it tightly to himself. His heart fluttered at the confirmation of her love for him and he kissed the doll's forehead. "Thank you, Alexia."

Playing with the doll became his routine. Since he couldn't spend time with Alexia, he used it as a substitute and mimicked Alexia's voice to make it seem more real. Imagining that the doll was Alexia was surprisingly easy for him and he enjoyed spending time with his 'Alexia'. Together, they would play chess, dress up with the costume set Alexia received as a gift for Christmas one year, his toy soldiers, or they would take tea together. All the things he wished so desperately to do with Alexia, he did with the doll.

While the doll wasn't a perfect substitute for his sister, it still managed to considerably brighten Alfred's dark mood. Harman noticed the change and seemed thankful that his young master was regaining some sense of normalcy.

* * *

"What would you like to do today, Alexia?" Alfred asked, taking the doll and setting it on the edge of the windowsill. Outside, the sun was shining and the snow was completely smooth. It was a perfect day to go outside and enjoy the beautiful landscape. "Would you like to go outside?"

Again, Alfred used his own high pitched voice to answer for the doll. "_My dear Alfred, that is a splendid idea!_"

"Why, thank you," Alfred smiled and pulled out one of the doll's jackets from the toy chest. "Let me help you put this on. It is quite cold outside and I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

"Lord Alfred?"

Alfred jumped at Harman's voice coming from behind him. He abruptly turned around and smiled, feeling a slight blush come to his cheeks. "Yes?"

Harman was looking at him from the doorway, brow furrowed. In his hands he held a tray with two bowls of soup and two sets of silverware. "Who are you talking to?"

The boy laughed sheepishly. "I was talking to Alexia."

Harman frowned deeply. "Alexia?"

Alfred quickly nodded his head and motioned to the doll. "She has only just returned to me."

"I...see," Harman said, still looking at him in a confused manner. After a moment, Harman cleared his throat and indicated the trays. "I, um, I thought that you could take your lunch with, um, _Alexia,_ today. I went down to bring her breakfast earlier and she seemed upset. A visit from her brother would probably cheer her up."

Alfred felt his heart skip a beat and he did a small celebratory jump. Taking lunch with Alexia would be wonderful! Oh, how he had missed her! "I'll take it down right now!"

Eagerly, he grabbed the tray from Harman and started to the stairwell. He was so excited that he stumbled slightly on the rug and threw out a hand to catch himself on the railing. The bowls and silverware slid to one side of the tray and Alfred had to move quickly to keep them from falling. He laughed, sounding a bit more hysterical than he intended.

"Careful," Harman chided him gently but without any real harshness. "Go slowly, you don't want to spill the soup!"

"Yes, Scott," Alfred laughed lightly, unable to keep the giddiness from himself. "I'll be careful."

Alfred continued down to the labs, trying as hard as possible to keep his steps slow and measured but the excitement was constantly threatening to overwhelm him. He was going to see Alexia, really see Alexia, for the first time in weeks! How could he not go running through the labs?

The other scientists seemed to blur around him as he headed to Alexia's private labs. Some of them stopped and greeted him but besides a nod, he ignored them. He was going to see his Queen and no one was going to stop him.

"Hello Alexia!" Alfred exclaimed, bouncing into the lab. A bit of the soup sloshed over the sides, and spilled all over the tray.

"Alfred!" Alexia snapped, watching him closely. "Be careful! There is a lot of expensive equipment and dangerous viruses in here!"

"I'm sorry, Alexia," Alfred said, a large smile spreading onto his face despite her obvious annoyance. He placed the tray down on one of the lab tables and then skipped over to her. When he got close enough to her, he circled his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

"Alfred, what are you-?"

"I've come to bring you lunch," Alfred explained, letting go of her. "I haven't seen you in so long and I thought we could have lunch together."

"That's very kind of you," Alexia sighed, caressing Alfred's cheek gently. Now that he wasn't holding her, he was able to see that something was wrong. The small smile she was giving him wasn't genuine and her blue eyes seemed distant.

"Alexia," Alfred said slowly, biting his lip. "Is something wrong?"

Alexia shook her head and stroked Alfred's cheek with the back of her hand. "No, my dear Alfred."

Alfred tilted his head to the side. "But then why are you looking at me like that? Have I disappointed you in some way?"

"Don't be silly," Alexia replied, sitting down at the lab table chair. "You haven't done anything to upset me. Come, lets have lunch before the soup gets cold."

Alfred nodded and set up lunch for them, serving Alexia first. He made sure to do everything as perfectly as possible, trying to gage what was going on in her mind. There was something she was thinking about, that he was sure, but what exactly it was, he had no idea.

"What have you been doing now that you're off of school?" Alexia said, gracefully taking the spoon in her hand and sipping her soup.

"Hunting," Alfred answered, trying to mimic Alexia's poise as she ate her soup. "I thought that things would be different, now that father has..." He trailed off even though he knew no one could hear them.

"Different?" Alexia asked, her sky blue eyes fixing on him. "What do you mean?"

Alfred felt a little bit of a blush creeping into his cheeks and he lowered his eyes, unsure of how to proceed. He thought it was pretty obvious what he was implying and now he was doubting what he wanted to say. Were things fine between them and he was to selfishly focused on his own needs to notice?

"Alfred?" Alexia pressed. "What is worrying you?"

"I just thought that..." Alfred paused, trying to keep away the embarrassment.

"Alfred, I can't help you if aren't going to finish your sentences."

"I just thought that you and I would spend more time together now that you did what you wanted with the T-Veronica virus," Alfred's words tumbled quickly out of his mouth. He kept his head down, knowing that her eyes were fixed on him. "I thought that we would be together."

Silence came over them. Alfred waited for Alexia to say something, anything, rather than stay here in silence. Having her stare at him in disapproval was enough to make him want to throw himself at her feet to beg for forgiveness.

"Alfred," Alexia whispered, walking over to him and taking her brother's hands. "I need to talk to you about something very important, but you must promise not to mention it to anyone else."

"Of course, Alexia," Alfred said, looking up and nodding his head enthusiastically. "I promise."

Alexia sympathetically caressed his cheek and ran her fingers through his gelled back tresses. "I have completed the research on T-Veronica and have perfected it."

"That's marvelous!" Alfred said, looking up at her happily. "How did you figure it out?"

"The only way for the virus to work with the host is to allow them both to mature," Alexia said, leaning close to Alfred. She bent down so that her lips fluttered over his ear and she whispered, "the virus wasn't given time to mature in Father's body, which is why he became that creature. The host would have to be suspended in a cryogen sleep for fifteen years to allow for this simultaneous maturing process."

Alfred continued grinning despite the fact that he didn't truly understand all the components of the virus.

"I plan on checking my theory by injecting the virus into a new human host," Alexia continued, holding Alfred's head in her hands. "The host needs to be young in age so that both the virus and the host will combine together. This will grant the person such great power..." She trailed off, a dark glimmer in her eyes.

"Where will you find a young host?"

"My dear, Alfred," Alexia grasped his pointed chin with her fingers so that he was forced to meet her eyes. "I plan on using it on myself."

Alfred felt as if he had been hit hard in the stomach and it suddenly became impossible for him to breath. "You?" he choked out. "But...you said the host would have to under go a cryogen sleep for fifteen years!"

"I am aware," Alexia said calmly. "That is why I need your help."

"But-" Alfred couldn't understand why she would do such a thing. Alexander had turned into a terrible monster and now she wanted to put herself at the same risk? He couldn't let her do that! "Surely you could use a child of one of the scientists! Why does it have to be you?"

"Alfred," Alexia said firmly. "This virus will give the host unimaginable power. Don't you think I deserve that power?"

"Yes, Alexia, but-"

"I have started making all the preparations," Alexia cut him off, walking over to the other end of the lab table. "While you were at school, I have been slowly building the cryogen capsule that I will be using. All I need you to do is make sure no one catches on."

"But, Alexia-!" Alfred exclaimed.

"Alfred," Alexia held her hand up to stop him from talking. "Are you capable of helping me or not?"

"Y-yes, but," Alfred tried to say something but all his words died in his throat. This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening... "When are you...going through with this?"

"In a week."

"A week?" Alfred's jaw dropped. "But, Alexia! Why so soon? Can't you wait a bit longer?"

"It is necessary for the virus to mature and the power I shall receive will make it all worth while."

"But, Alexia!" Alfred begged, he took her hands and held them close to his heart. "Christmas is in two weeks! Please let me have this last one with you! If you don't...I don't know how I will bear living! Please, Alexia!"

"Alfred, since when has Christmas ever been important to you?" Alexia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Please Alexia!"

Alexia stared down at him and then looked away towards her lab. He knew she wanted to continue the virus but he couldn't deal with it. It would break his heart to have her leave now. He needed more than just one week with her, he needed longer and even though they didn't particularly celebrate Christmas, he would say anything to make her put it off.

"Alexia, I never ask you for anything! Please just do this one thing for me."

She slowly faced him, her gaze softened at his words and she nodded her head slowly. "Of course, my dear Alfred, of course. I will wait until after Christmas."

For the next two weeks, Alfred spent his time alongside Alexia in the labs, practicing virus administration and learning how to use the cryogen capsule that Alexia would use. It actually fascinated him quite a bit to learn how everything worked and he enjoyed spending all the extra time with his sister.

As they worked, Alexia explained how she had come up with the idea when she came across the capsule in an old broom closet that was converted to storage. It had at one time been a part of an Umbrella project but had since been scrapped. She had the capsule moved into a special room that only she had access to so that no one would disturb her when she went under.

She also explained how the most important job of making sure that no one found out what happened fell to him. He was charged with the duty to protect his Queen and it made Alfred swell with pride that she trusted him enough to put herself in his hands. He vowed to make sure that she was protected and that nothing would ever happen to her.

* * *

_Alfred slowly pushed the plunger on the syringe and watched as the purple and green prism liquid entered Alexia's veins._

_"Thank you, my dear Alfred," Alexia said, smiling. She pulled her sleeve back and caressed his cheek, lovingly. But suddenly, the smile disappeared from her face and was replaced by a look of panic._

_"What is it?" Alfred asked, his heart skipping a beat._

_"I don't know..." Alexia said, sounding very uncertain. Alfred felt as if his stomach dropped out of his body. Alexia knew every thing, and the fack that she looked uncertain caused him the greatest fear he had ever known._

_"Is there something I can do?" Alfred's voice went up a few octaves, betraying his desperation._

_Alexia shook her head and leaned over clutching her stomach. She then moaned horribly and she fell to the ground, landing hard on her side._

_"Alexia!" Alfred said, crouching beside her. "Please! How can I help you?"_

_Alexia's blue eyes locked on his for a moment and then she let out another horrible whimper of pain. Her body started quaking violently and she writhed on the ground in obvious pain._

_"Alexia!"_

_Then, to Alfred's horror, she screamed, and he could hear the sound of cracking bones. The purple dress she wore ripped open in the back and a disfigured limb exploded from her pale flesh. There was another horrible tearing noise that Alfred saw was the skin on her chest bursting open and blood poured out, revealing her internal organs. She screamed again and Alfred stared, motionless, unable to figure out how to stop the mutation._

"ALEXIA!"

Alfred sat straight up in his bed, a light sweat covering his brow and his heart pounding like a drum against his ribcage. He gasped for breath and his eyes darted around the room, feeling his heart rate slow as he recognized that he was lying in his own bed, in his own room.

"It was...a dream," he whispered between breaths. "Only...a...dream...everything...is fine..."

He closed his eyes and the image of Alexia as a horribly mutated monster flashed before him. "No," he gasped and snapped his eyes open again. The boy bit his lip and felt tears starting to well up in his eyes.

The dream seemed so real to him and played perfectly on the fears he worked so hard to suppress. What if her theory about the need for maturation was wrong? What if she turned into a horrible monster like their father? He couldn't bear to think of such a thing happening to his beautiful sister.

As all these thoughts flooded his mind, the tears started falling from his eyes and he crawled out of bed. He had to see Alexia now otherwise he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

The outside hallway was unusually cold and Alfred shivered as he tiptoed to Alexia's room. Moonlight flooded the hallway, the only light he used to guide him to her room. He stole a quickly glance out the window as he passed it, marveling at the beauty of the soft snow that fell before stepping into Alexia's quiet room.

Alexia was sleeping peacefully in her bed, covers pulled up to her chin. Wanting to escape the cold, Alfred quickly went to her bedside and knelt down beside her. Carefully, he brushed a few stray strands of her golden hair behind her ear. She stirred slightly but was still asleep. He tried again, this time placing soft kisses on her now exposed neck.

"Wha-?" Alexia rolled to the side and faced her brother. Her blue eyes took him in and then she frowned slightly. "Alfred?"

"A-A-Alexia," Alfred stuttered, his teeth chattering so hard that he couldn't speak properly.

"You're crying," she reached out and cupped his cheek. "Whatever is the matter?"

"N-n-nightmare," Alfred replied, rubbing his hands up and down his arms to keep them warm. "M-may I?"

Alexia nodded and made room for Alfred in her bed. He quickly slipped into bed with her, moving so that there was no space between them. His twin slipped her arm under his neck and he nestled his head on her shoulder, relaxing in the warmth of her bed.

"What was your nightmare about?" Alexia asked softly once he was settled.

Alfred felt new tears starting to form in his eyes and he pulled her closer to him, making sure that as much of him as possible was touching her. He needed this physical reassurance, her touch, to know that everything would be alright.

"Well?"

"I dreamt that your virus failed," Alfred's tears began to fall despite his best efforts to keep them in check. "It was horrible, Alexia. The mutations started and everything...You turned out like father..."

"Do you really have so little faith in my abilities?" Alexia asked sternly, wiping the tears from his cheeks with the sheets. "Do you not think I haven't considered every variable that might cause a problem and fixed it? You disappoint me, Alfred."

"I'm so...so...very sorry, A-Alexia," Alfred choked, his cheeks flushing at the thought of her being disappointed in him. He buried his face into her nightgown as a fresh wave of sobs over took him. "I...don't doubt you."

"I would hope not." Alexia's voice was still very hard and it hurt him to hear her speak to him like this. She pushed against him. "Move."

Alfred took in a shaky breath and squeezed her body closer to him, clinging to her as if for dear life. "Please don't ask me to leave. I won't be able to sleep if I leave."

Alexia sighed. "I'm not asking you to leave."

"You're not?" Alfred's voice was high and he looked up to meet her eyes. She was looking down at him, features soften making her look very tired.

"Roll over," she said softly this time, nudging him with her hand.

He quickly did as she instructed, not wanting another reason for her to be disappointed in him. He twisted his body so that he was face down on the bed and folded his arms under his head like a pillow. He turned his head so that he was facing her, curious as to what she was doing.

His twin propped herself up on one elbow and reached down under the covers. The boy took in a sharp breath and stilled completely as he felt her hand run down along the side of his body, down to his hips until her fingers grasped the edge of his night shirt. She pulled the fabric up until it bunched around his armpits.

"What are you-?"

"Shhh," Alexia cooed, trailing kisses from his forehead to his neck. "Will you help me get this off of you?"

"Yes, A-Alexia," Alfred whispered, removing the rest of the garment himself. He shivered, goosebumps appearing across his now exposed chest and back. He flushed when he realized that her eyes were studying him carefully. The thought that she was judging his appearance came to mind and caused the crimson blush on his cheeks to deepen. Though he hoped that she found him pleasing, he couldn't help but feel inferior to her.

"Relax and try to get back to sleep."

Alfred nodded and closed his eyes. Lightly, she used her fingernails to trace lines across his back. It gave him a tingling sensation that sent a shiver up his spine. However, it was enough to help relieve the tension that he felt in his whole system. Only Alexia could provide him with this level of comfort and he relaxed under her touch.

"There," she said, warmly, noting how his body seemed to melt with her administrations. "Now just sleep. Everything will be fine in the morning."

Alfred nodded, feeling sleep starting to pull at his consciousness. "Will you sing for me?"

"Anything for you, my King."

Alexia's musical voice filled the room and Alfred's being, washing away the fears he had from earlier. As much as he wished he could stay awake so that this moment-this precious moment with her-would last forever, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**I am getting very close to what is probably going to be the worst day of Alfred's life. I'll probably write two more parts to this and then it will be done. Also, I never fully liked the title "The Beginning of the End" so the next time I update this, it might have a new title.**

**Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this new chapter! Please Review =)**


	4. Chapter IV

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far and I'm sorry its taken me so long to update but school is out now so I'll be able to post a bit more then I have lately. Thanks again to Captain Turlow for being an awesome beta and to Writer's Anonymous for being part of my inspiration. Enjoy!**

Part IV

"Alfred?"

The boy groaned as the soft voice pulled him out of his slumber. He was comfortable and warm under the thick blankets, content to be lost in dreamland for a few hours longer.

"My dear Alfred." A warm hand was caressing his cheek, pulling him further into reality. "Wake up, my king."

Alfred opened his sky blue eyes and turned to the owner of the voice, his beautiful twin sister. Alexia smiled down at him from her seated position on the bed. She was still dressed in her white nightshirt, looking like the angel she was to him. Smiling, Alfred scooted closer to her and put his head in her lap.

"How did you sleep, my king?"

"Oh, Alexia," Alfred sighed, clutching at her nightdress. He molded his body to hers, keeping her close. "One of the best nights I've had in years."

"Good," Alexia whispered, running her fingers through Alfred's messy hair. "It distresses me to see you so upset."

"Please forgive me, Alexia," Alfred said softly, sad that he caused Alexia any sort of unhappiness.

Alexia shifted her position so that she was looming over her brother. Carefully, she grasped his hand, interlacing her fingers with his in the process and lowered herself against his body. Slowly, she leaned forward and planted deep kisses on his forehead and cheeks. With her other hand, she lightly dragged her nails along his chest, causing him to shiver.

"A-Alexia?" Alfred asked uncertainly, not used to such a forward display of affection from her. Inside, he could feel his heart beating rapidly and his deep intakes of air caused his chest to heave up and down. Having his sister this close to him, showing him this type of attention, was the only thing he ever wanted in the world. It was almost too much to believe that it was actually happening.

"Happy Christmas, brother," Alexia whispered, lips fluttering along the outer shell of his ear.

He wrapped his arms around her, effectively pinning her body against his. The fact that it was Christmas only reminded him that his time with her was coming to an end. "Happy Christmas, Alexia."

"Miss Alexia?" Harman's voice came from just beyond her bedroom door followed by three sharp knocks.

"Come in!" Quickly, Alexia slipped off her brother and Alfred almost protested the loss of contact. Why did Harman have to choose _this exact moment_ to come wake them?

"Miss Alexia," Harman said, walking into her room. "Have you seen your brother-? Ah! I should have guessed you'd be in here!"

Alfred grinned sheepishly, feeling a bit of redness coming to his cheeks. Quickly, he pulled the covers up to his chin and twisted into Alexia. "Good morning."

"Well I came to let you both know that breakfast is ready," Harman explained, pulling open the curtains to Alexia's room. As he did, light flooded the room and Alfred winced, eyes not adjusted to the harsh light. "Beans, eggs, toast, fried tomatoes, and bacon are all waiting for you!"

"Thank you, Scott," Alexia said, getting out of bed and smoothing out her nightdress. "We will be down momentarily."

"Of course," Harman bowed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Alexia stretched and walked across the room to her dresser. Alfred kept his eyes on her as she rummaged through it, picking out a dress for the day. After a moment, she produced a lavender dress and started toward the bathroom to change.

"Wait," Alfred called out to her. "Will you wear the blue and white one today?"

"The blue and white what?" Alexia said, turning to her brother.

Alfred climbed out of bed and went to her dresser. After pushing some of the other dresses aside, he pulled out a pale blue dress with a white sash. "This dress."

Alexia reached out and took it from her brother, slender eyebrow raised. "Why?"

"Well…" Alfred lowered his eyes, feeling a slight blush creep back into his cheeks. "Because…"

"Finish your sentences, brother."

"Because I think you look beautiful in it," Alfred said quietly, still not lifting his eyes from the floor. "It's my favorite one…"

Alexia stared blankly at him and Alfred felt his already red face grow even warmer. The way she looked at him made him feel foolish and he was about to begin wishing that he had never mentioned it when Alexia sighed heavily.

"For you," she said, before turning her back and heading into the bathroom.

Alfred looked up and smiled. Instantly his heart felt lighter and he ran up behind her, scooping her up in his arms before spinning her around. "Thank you Alexia!"

"Put me down," Alexia commanded softly, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Aflred! I don't know what has come over you. Now, go to your room and get dressed. You'll catch a cold standing there without your shirt."

"Yes, Alexia," Alfred nodded his head eagerly. He gently placed her down and skipped back to his own room.

When he got there, he found a small box wrapped in red paper resting on the center of his bed. Folded neatly on top of it was a white card with his name written in Alexia's beautiful scrip.

Heart beating faster, Alfred quickly grabbed the card opened it.

_My Dear Alfred,_

_I know that you will soon be faced with some trying times. I hope that, in my absence, this can be your confidant, your place for reflection. _

_Perhaps you can write our story._

_Happy Christmas and Love Always,_

_Alexia_

Alfred stared at the letter, perplexed at its meaning. How could anything replace Alexia or even come close to her? Deciding to quell his curiosity, Alfred tore off the wrappings to reveal a black leather book. The cover had an A carved into the expensive leather.

Alfred traced the tip of his finger around the corners of the book and gingerly opened the front cover, taking in the smell of the new leather. The book was filled with cream pages that were ever so lightly lined. A think red ribbon was sewn into the top of the book that acted as a perfect bookmark.

_Perhaps you can write our story._

Excitedly, he took the book and skipped to his desk. With a sweep of his hand, he pushed all his toy soldiers off it, clearing a space for his new journal. Quickly, he rummaged through the drawers to find his prized fountain pen and sat down, ready to write.

But write what exactly? Their story? What was their story?

Alfred pursed his lips together and took hold of his pen. Everything in his life had changed and was about to change once more in a very drastic measure. He was losing his love, his everything. Right now was the beginning of the end of his normal life.

Taking the pen, Alfred took a deep breath and slowly began to write, starting from the beginning.

_There's a sealed room in the hallway located inside of the Antarctic facility. I don't know what is hidden there, but I do not know how to get in. I can use the three jewels that each one of our three members wear as proof of being legitimated descendent of the Ashford family. The only problem is, I do not know how I can gain possession of my father's proof._

Alfred paused at this point. Then, as if something took over him, the words began falling out of his mind and into his hand and finally, onto the paper. He detailed his success in getting into the secret room and the experiment on their own father.

_Thanks to that idiot, I can't see my dear Alexia for as long as 15 years. Alexia is going to sleep, with all of her trust relying upon me. Now, I am the only one who can protect Alexia_.

He stopped, the words cutting deep into him. Alexia was supposed to go into her sleep in a few days.

"Alfred? Are you coming?" Alexia called from his doorway.

"Yes, yes of course," Alfred said hurriedly, slamming the book closed before grabbing a shirt and running after her.

* * *

Alfred huddled on the window seat, knees up to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around them. The bright, cheery sun streamed into the playroom, the exact opposite of his dreary mood.

The reality of his situation was finally settling in and it made him feel cold inside. Alexia had decided that tomorrow she would enter her cryogenic sleep and take in the T-Veronica Virus.

Why hadn't he done more to change her mind? Couldn't she see that her place was here, with him? But he already knew he was powerless in this predicament. Alexia was the one in charge, just like she always had been. Whatever Alexia wanted, she always got and Alfred went along with it, no hesitations or questions asked.

Why couldn't things go his way for a change? He needed her! She was his queen! She was the only one he truly loved and without her, he would be alone in the world. She was the only one that that accepted him and he needed that. Without her, life just didn't seem to be worth living.

Alfred hugged his knees tighter as he felt his heart starting to twist into a knot. He knew he couldn't escape this. All he could do was follow Alexia's plans.

A buzzing noise caught his attention and he looked up to the corner of his window. There, fluttering into the glass was a bright blue dragonfly. Stealthy, he leaned forward and, moving quickly, snatched it right out of the air.

The dragonfly started buzzing frantically, its wings beating against his fingertips in a vain attempt to escape. Neither of them were controlling their own fates.

The door opened slowly behind him but Alfred didn't turn around. He could tell from the soft footsteps that it was Alexia and he didn't want her to see him acting this childish.

A loud tsk reached his ears followed by a soft clicking noise, which he quickly recognized as the music box that usually sat in the corner of the room. Once she finished winding it, she placed it back on the mahogany table. The beautiful melody of the music box filled the room and Alfred felt the knot loosen a bit in his chest.

Suddenly, he felt her hand on his shoulder and the other one slowly combing back his hair. "A-Alexia."

"_There was a friendly but naïve king_

_who wed a very nasty queen._

_The king was loved but,_

_the queen was feared._

_Till one day strolling in his court_

_An arrow pierced the kind king's heart._

_He lost his life and_

_his lady love._"

"That was lovely, Alexia," Alfred whispered, as the final notes of the song and Alexia's clear voice faded.

"I know it calms you," Alexia said, pushing on her brother's shoulders, turning his body so that he was facing her.

"Thank you."

"Of course, brother," Alexia half smiled and nodded to his closed hand. "What have you got there?"

Alfred slowly opened his hand to reveal the dragonfly. Almost instantly, Alexia seemed fascinated by it. Never taking her eyes off the creature, she sat down beside Alfred on the window seat and watched it in his hand. "Why do you have it?"

The boy shrugged and idly plucked the first win off the dragonfly. Alexia leaned in close to him, watching intently as Alfred continued to pull the wings off the helpless creature. When none were left, Alfred carried it up to the ant compartment on the table in the center of the room. Without much thought, he dropped it in with the ants and watched in awe as the ants quickly devoured it.

Once the body of the dragonfly was completely gone, he turned to look back at Alexia but was startled to see that she was now standing next to him. He hadn't heard her approach but he smiled as their eyes met. Alexia slowly returned the smile and tilted her head forward until their foreheads were touching.

"Alexia," Alfred sighed, leaning into her. "Please, I can't be without you…"

"Alfred," Alexia's voice was hard, warning him not to go into this again. She took a step away from him and walked back to the windowsill. "We've talked about this. I am not going to change my mind."

"I know," Alfred said, defeated. He looked over at her, hoping that she would give him some sort of sympathy but her back was towards him. "But I need you with me."

"Just think of it as if you're at school," Alexia suggested matter-of-factly. "You always manage to do well without me while you're in school."

"You used to send me letters every week," Alfred reminded her bitterly, thinking of how she used to be more vigilant in her letters until the T-Veronica virus became such a huge part of her life. "You can't do that while you're sleeping."

"You don't need the letters, brother," Alexia chided him. "Use this time to focus on your studies so that you can take up your rightful position at Umbrella."

"But I don't care about Umbrella or those rats," Alfred said, motioning in the general directions of the labs.

"Alfred!" Alexia snapped, spinning on her heal and crossing her arms over her chest. "Must you really be so difficult?"

"I'm not trying to be," Alfred insisted, looking at the floor and shuffling his feet. "I just…this wasn't how things were supposed to be! I wanted us to be together!"

"You wanted us to be together?" Alexia repeated, a slight laughter in her voice as if she believed the idea was preposterous.

"Yes, I wanted-"

"This isn't just about you," Alexia hissed. "Have you forgotten who we are? We are the last remaining Ashfords! Our idiot of a father has ruined our reputation and it is up to us to fix it! The Veronica virus is infinitely more powerful then that T-Virus those worker ants in Arklay are working on. We need this power, Alfred. It is the only thing that matters!"

A very uncomfortable silence fell between them. It was so quiet Alfred was almost sure she could hear the way his heart was rapidly beating and breaking with each second of silence.

"I am going to go," Alexia stated firmly. "Hopefully I can count on you tomorrow, but as of now, I don't wish to spend my last day awake with you."

Alfred's mouth dropped open and he stared at Alexia, feeling as if she had slapped him. She glared at him and then stormed out of the playroom, bumping her shoulder hard against Alfred's as she passed him. The boy stumbled back from the force of her push and recoiled when he heard the door slam behind him.

He stood motionless in the middle of the room, biting his lip. Now he'd done it. They wouldn't have fought if he hadn't been so stubborn and perhaps they'd still be in that blissful moment, staring into each other's eyes.

And for the first time since Alexia had set her plan in motion, he felt seeds of doubt. What if he wasn't able to keep the secret? Would he be strong enough to allow her to remain dormant all those long years, leaving him completely alone? What if he failed her?

Alfred felt his airway constrict at the thought. If he failed, Alexia would be eternally disappointed in him. What if she never spoke to him again? Or even refused to acknowledge him as her kin? Not only that, he would be responsible for the continued demise of the Ashford line. He would have ended them all…

He shook his head, clearing those things from his head. He couldn't fail her. That was not an option and even the thought of doing so made him feel sick to his stomach. Quickly, he took in a deep breath and stood straighter, resolve filling him. He could do this. He could do anything for his Queen.

* * *

Alfred crept down the hall to Alexia's room. They hadn't spoken since their argument in the playroom and the boy knew he wouldn't be able to go without seeing her much longer.

He moved silently, side stepping the boards that he knew creaked and quickly reached Alexia's door. Before he opened it, he paused a moment and glanced behind him down the long hallway that lead to his room. He was able to navigate the floor very well now, thanks to the frequent trips to Alexia's bedroom during the night.

Refocusing his thoughts, Alfred slowly pushed open the door and closed it softly.

"I was wondering when I'd be seeing you, brother."

Alfred jumped slightly in surprise, not having realized that Alexia was awake and waiting for him.

"I'm sorry, Alexia," Alfred breathed, his heart still racing a bit. He spun around and faced his sister. She was sitting upright in bed, arms crossed over her chest. "I couldn't bear to miss this last night with you."

Alexia eyed him warily and Alfred could see that she was mulling over whether or not to send him away. But she wouldn't tell him to leave, not tonight.

Right?

Finally she sighed and motioned him over. "Come here."

"Thank you, Alexia," Alfred breathed, very relieved. Slowly he walked to the edge of the bed and got down on his knees beside the edge of the bed. "I just wanted to apologize and let you know how much I love you."

Alexia gave him a bemused smile and cupped his cheek in her hand. "You really do love me, don't you brother?"

"More then anything," Alfred bobbed his head up and down. "I'll do anything for you, even if it means I have to give you up for…" he paused and cleared his throat. His resolve faltered for a moment before he finished, saying "fifteen years. I'll make sure nothing happens to you…ever."

"I know you will," Alexia said, giving him a small smile. She gently stroked his cheek with her thumb. "This wouldn't work with anyone besides you, my dear Alfred. Come, you must rest. You have a big day tomorrow."

The boy nodded and eagerly crawled into the bed next to her. Alexia slithered down under the covers, taking a moment to get comfortable. Once she was settled, Alfred rested his head on her shoulder and slung his arm protectively around her middle. She was his, and he was never going to let anything bad happen to her.

Alexia slowly began running her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. The administrations slowly allowed him to release all the tension in his system. Alfred sighed contently and drifted asleep…

…only to be woken what seemed like a moment later by someone softly shaking him.

Alfred opened his eyes to Alexia standing above him, smiling. She held out her hand to him. "Come Alfred, it is time."

* * *

Alfred stared up at the dark red canopy that hung above his bed. It had been almost a week since Alexia had gone into her sleep and the last time he was out of bed for more then an hour or so at a time.

A kind of numbness had taken over him. He couldn't feel or live, just exist. Missing his twin, missing Alexia, was as though he was without an essential organ or other part of his body necessary to live.

Harman had tired his best to comfort the boy but soon realized that all his attempts were in vain. Alfred simply did not want to be around anyone nor did he want anyone to comfort him. He was perfectly happy sitting in his room alone.

The boy rolled to his side, sky blue eyes fixing on the window outside. Fourteen years, three hundred and fifty nine days to go.

As soon as that thought passed through his mind he felt his stomach twist into a knot. Saying it that way seemed so…long. Six days gone, he said to himself, feeling slightly better. Wasn't that what Harman said? Counting the days since the incident would always make it better?

Alfred rolled to his other side, hoping that his new position would be more comfortable then the last. He sighed heavily when he realized he wasn't comfortable on this side either. The only thing that could comfort him was his sister's warm touch on his skin, her welcoming arms wrapped lovingly around him.

These thoughts caused tears to sting in his eyes and he tried to think of something else to keep himself calm. In truth, he never fully learned how to comfort himself…Alexia had always been there to help him.

He closed his eyes and allowed the memory of her to play in his mind again, their last few moments together. He remembered the way they snuck to the secret rooms, as if it were all some silly game. He could just barely feel her arms around him as she embraced him tightly for the last time, and he could almost feel her lips against his with a last departing kiss…

"Sir Alfred!"

Alfred groaned as he heard Harman approaching the door. Didn't the butler understand that he just wanted to be alone? He halfway thought about getting up and locking the door but realized he didn't even have the will do to so. He sat cross-legged on the bed, facing the door. "Come in."

Harman opened the door quickly and sighed in relief. "It is good to see you awake and well sir."

The boy stared at him, unmoved by the sentiment. "What is it today, Scott?"

"Do you remember Mr. Spencer?" Harman asked, pulling some clothes out of Alfred's dresser and laying them out nicely on the edge of his bed. Once Harman emptied out the top two drawers, the butler started to head for his closet.

"Yes," Alfred said, scrunching up his nose in distaste. He remembered meeting the vile man from a trip to Arklay two years ago with the whole family. Mr. Spencer sneered at him and Alexander but treated Alexia with the utmost respect. Alfred hated the way he seemed to want to keep Alexia to himself, as if she belonged to him. "Why?"

"He is hosting a memorial service for Alexia in a few days," Harman stated, producing Alfred's suitcase from the closet. He hoisted it onto the bed next to the boy and began filling it with his young master's clothes. "It's going to be on Rockfort Island."

Alfred made a face and crossed his arms over his chest. "_He's_ holding a service?"

Harman nodded. "We leave tomorrow for Chicago."

"How long are we going to be there for?" Alfred asked, not wanting to leave Alexia for very long. While she wasn't actually with him, the fact that she was still physically close to him gave him a small amount of comfort.

"Only for a short while," Harman replied, folding the clothes and carefully arranging them into the suitcase. "We will stay in Chicago for a few days and then stop by Rockfort Island for a bit."

Alfred threw himself back onto his bed. "I don't wish to leave."

"You have gone through a lot recently," Harman said, slowly. "I believe it might do you some good to leave this place, if only for a little while."

Alfred rolled his eyes backwards toward his canopy again and sighed heavily. He did not want to go, but he could already tell from the way Harman was rapidly packing his suitcase that there would be no question in the matter. He wanted to argue with Harman but he was worried that if he were to push staying to hard, it might raise suspicion. What if the butler questioned his reasons for wishing to remain in this desolate place that he had no real reason to remain here. This was all Umbrella property, something that he would have no claim to for many more years. The boy let out a long breath. The sooner he left for Alexia's 'funeral' the soon he could be back here, guarding his Queen. "Fine."

* * *

"She was Umbrella's rising star, an invaluable gem to the company," Ozwell E. Spencer said to the quiet crowd before him. He paused and gripped the podium as if he needed its strength to continue. "She was Umbrella's finest."

Alfred stared blankly at the man's dramatization of sadness that he wasn't really feeling. It almost angered the boy that Mr. Spencer was making Alexia's loss out to be of great personal loss when he barely even knew her.

Around him, various other Umbrella employees dressed in black sat, looking disinterested. The auditorium hall that Spencer had chosen for Alexia's memorial had minimal decoration outside of a bouquet of flowers Alfred had bought on the way over. He recognized some of the employees, mostly people that Alexia or his father had worked with. He even saw the two Arklay rats, Birkin and Wesker, sitting begrudgingly in the back row.

He shifted positions in his seat, glancing at all the others around him. No one understood the pain he was going through. No one knew how hard it was to be separated from a sibling because of a stupid virus. Even though he hadn't seen her since she went into her sleep, he needed the proximity to give him strength. Here in Chicago, he was truly alone and he hated it. Soon after arriving at the memorial service he resolved to sneak into Alexia's chamber to visit her.

"Sir?"

"Hm?" Alfred came back to the present. Spencer was no longer speaking and those in attendance were standing up and making their way into the banquet hall where food was to be served. "What's happening?"

"There ceremony is over," Harman explained, taking his hand and helping him stand. "Are you alright?"

Alfred sighed and nodded, wanting nothing more then to go home as soon as possible. "Can't we leave? I don't want to be here anymore."

Harman gave him a small smile and nodded his head. "I know this must be hard on you. Come, let's thank Mr. Spencer for his hospitality and then we can leave."

Though the last thing he wanted to do was interact with the man, Alfred dutifully followed the butler into the banquet room. After a moment of weaving through the other employees, Harman finally spotted Spencer standing in a corner with Birkin, Wesker, and a woman whose name Alfred couldn't remember.

Spencer, Wesker, Birkin, and the woman stopped talking once they approached and turned to face them. Alfred stared at them, each in turn. Spencer looked as clean and crisp as ever but he still had the greedy look in his eyes that never seemed to go away. Wesker had the same stoic facial expression that he wore and his eyes were still hidden by the rectangle shades. Birkin had thinned out a bit since the boy had last seen him and the bags under his eyes were bigger then Alfred remembered. He looked like he hadn't showered in days and Alfred wrinkled his nose at the thought.

"Mr. Spencer," Harman said, holding out his hand to the man. "We wish to thank you for everything you've done for us."

"Thank you, Mr. Spencer," Alfred followed suit.

Spencer smiled with false warmth but didn't take Harman or Alfred's hand. "Anything I can do to help a member of the Umbrella _family_."

Alfred felt a blush rise in his cheeks when Spencer ignored him and took a step back.

Harman cleared his throat. "Well we must be returning home, my master isn't feeling well."

"Of course," Spencer eyes focused on Alfred's face. "But before you do, may I have a word with you Scott?"

The butler nodded and the two walked stepped away from the group, leaving Alfred, Wesker, Birkin, and the woman all standing awkwardly together. Alfred didn't know what to say to them so he dropped his gaze to his shoes. Maybe if he didn't look at them, they wouldn't talk to him…

"We are very sorry for your loss," the woman said after a moment of silence. Alfred looked up at her and saw she was giving him a sad smile.

Birkin snorted loudly the woman glared at the scientist. He rolled his eyes and a smirk crept across his features, not at all sorry about Alexia's 'death.'

Alfred glared at Birkin, disgusted that someone so common and weak as him would dare to not honor Alexia. He was so far below her and here he was, not giving her the respect she so rightly deserved!

"Some of us are more sorry then others," Wesker said dryly, taking his glasses from his head and cleaning them with a cloth he produced from his jacket.

"I am merely expressing my opinion that people should be honored in the company based on their merits," Birkin said, blue eyes pointedly looking at Alfred. The scientist tilted his head and gave the boy a crooked smile. "Instead of say, their family heritage."

"Alexia _is_ and always _will be_ better then you rats!" Alfred insisted, clenching his fists so hard that they were shaking and his knuckles were turning white.

The smug smile on Birkin's melted and he glared at Alfred, blue eyes filling with a dark rage. "Why you little-"

"William!" the woman scolded, grabbing his arm as he took a step towards the boy. "He lost his father and sister, be reasonable!"

"Reasonable isn't Will's strong suit," Wesker stated.

"That Ashford bitch was nothing compared to me!" Birkin exclaimed, looking at Alfred with murderous eyes. "I am the top Umbrella employee!"

"Really, William?" Spencer cut back into the group with a bored tone. "This is neither the time nor the place for such behavior."

A blush crept into Birkin's round face and he hung his head, rightfully put in his place. Alfred resisted the urge to yell back at the older boy but he didn't want Spencer's attention on himself. As much as he would have loved to antagonize the other teenager and make him pay for his words, Spencer's focus on him was not worth it.

"Come Alfred," Harman said, looking slightly shaken from his chat with Spencer. "Lets head home."

* * *

"When are we going to go home?" Alfred asked as Harman served him his dinner. After the tense memorial service at Arklay, Harman and Alfred returned to Rockfort Island for the remainder of their stay. The boy knew that Harman wanted to take a few days for him to rest, but Alfred was ready to return to the Arctic Facility to see his sleeping sister.

Alfred could only imagine the reunion they would have. Sure, he wouldn't be able to actually talk to her but just seeing her was enough to make him feel calm again.

Harman continued to place the food on the table before his young master and poured him his drink but didn't answer.

"Scott?" Alfred asked, wondering why the man was ignoring him. "Why wont you answer me?"

Harman sighed heavily. "We aren't leaving Rockfort for some time."

Alfred tilted his head. "But, I wanna go home."

"This is home for you, sir. You've always said you wanted to come back and live here-"

"I mean I want to go back to the facility!" Alfred exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "When are we going back to there?"

The butler kneeled in front of Alfred so that he was eyelevel with the boy. "We are not going back to the faculty. We are living on Rockfort Island permanently."

Alfred felt his heart skip a beat and he stared dumbly at Harman before him. Permanently? But…Alexia!

"But…" Alfred's tongue suddenly didn't seem to work correctly. "But…we have to go back…"

"No, sir," Harman said softly. "I worry that being there, after your father and after Alexia, wouldn't be a good thing for you-"

"NO!" Alfred screamed, heart pounding in a frenzied panic. No, this wasn't the way it was supposed to be…no no nononononononono! "We can't! We have to go back!"

"Sir," Harman grasped Alfred's forearms, holding the boy so that he was looking at him. "You must understand, this is for the best-"

"But Alexia is there!" Alfred exclaimed, without thinking. "I can't leave her!"

Harman sat back on his heels and frowned. "What do you mean, sir?"

Alfred opened his mouth and shut it with a snap. "I…"

Harman stared at him, waiting for an answer. Alfred looked at the floor as he began feeling tears well up in his eyes.

"Sir, Alexia is dead," Harman explained slowly when the boy didn't say anything. "She isn't coming back. She's gone."

Alfred blinked and his mouth fell open. What was he going to say to Harman? That Alexia was alive and that's why he needed to go back to the facility? NO! He couldn't betray her like that. But how else could he convince Harman to let him return? Each argument seemed more ridiculous then the next and he realized he was without ideas. Only Alexia would know what to say to make them go back, only she knew what to do in all situations.

"I do believe it is in your best interest," Harman said earnestly. "Please understand. All things are better with time."

"Please leave me alone," Alfred asked, voice breaking. He wasn't going to see Alexia again…for fifteen years.

"Sir-"

"I want to be alone!" Alfred yelled, pushing away from the butler and running towards the stairs. Once he arrived at the stairs, he took them two at a time, tripping as he did, until he reached the top. Then he took a sharp left and dashed into Alexia's room.

The room was dark but he went inside anyway, kicking the door shut behind him. It closed with a loud bang and left the boy in total darkness. From memory, he lightly dragged his hand along the wall until he got to the light switch. With a loud click, it flooded the room with a gentle glow of light.

Alexia's room looked exactly the same as they had left it a year ago when they moved to the Arctic facility. Everything was still in place, the way they were supposed to be. Alexia's bed was perfectly made and her dolls set just so. Her desk was neatly organized but had a thin layer of dust coating it.

Seeing the dust only reminded him of how different things had become. How simple life had been back then and how complicated and empty it was now.

With a huff, Alfred threw himself onto her bed, pillows bouncing from the force of his fall. He sighed heavily and buried his face unto the nightgown she kept under her pillows. The boy held the gown closer and realized that he could smell the faint stale remains of Alexia's perfume.

Alfred's heart speed up and he breathed in more of her perfume. He loved this scent, it was so familiar to him that he took comfort in its familiarity.

After a few moments, he realized he couldn't smell it as much as he had the first time. Immediately, his sky blue eyes flew to Alexia's closet and he thought about all the clothes that were still in there. Hesitantly, he crawled off her bed and walked stiffly to the closet.

Would the rest of her clothes still have her perfume?

Not sure of the answer, he pulled the doors open and grabbed the first dress he saw. Then, without any real understanding of what made him do it, he pulled off his shirt and slipped the dress over his head. The perfume surrounded him and filled him with warmth and calm.

Once he had the dress on, he stepped in front of Alexia's mirror and stared at his reflection. At first he was startled, amazed by how much he looked like his sister with the dress. He knew they were twins but the likeness was striking. For a moment, he stared at the reflection, realizing that he looked more like Alexia than himself.

Oh, Alexia…

If he just imagined she was here—if he just looked in the mirror—the fifteen years would go by fast enough. As Harman said, time makes everything better…

**Hope you all enjoyed this! I am going to have one more part and then I'll finally be finished! Please let me know what you think!**


	5. Epilogue

Epilogue

He had to get to her.

That was the only thought in his mind, the one thing keeping him going. Alfred took one more labored step before pain exploded in his side. He cried out in agony and crumpled to the floor, clutching his side as waves of pain washed over his entire body.

Alfred gasped as each wave overloaded his senses and stars appeared before his eyes. He tried to move again but he felt the wound in his side protest and he screwed his eyes shut.

He couldn't let this stop him. He had to get to her.

After a few deep, but shaky breaths, the pain began to subside and Alfred opened his eyes. Slowly, using the wall for support, he pulled himself to his feet. Once he was fully up, Alfred swallowed deeply and gazed down at the gunshot wound.

Blood had fully soaked through his white shirt and thick red military jacket and was now dripping down his legs. He pushed away the ripped material of his jacket and glanced at the broken skin. With each movement, blood pooled at the opening before slowly draining down his side. Carefully, Alfred glanced over his shoulder and noticed the pools of blood trailing behind him.

Seeing the blood trial, he took as sharp intake of air. He knew that he had lost a lot of blood and would pass out soon if he didn't get help. Knowing his time was short, he pushed off the wall with new resolve and continued forward.

Each step he took was more difficult then the last, draining his energy at an alarming rate. Soon, his own strength couldn't keep his standing and he had to rely on the wall to keep himself upright.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the end of the hallway leading to Alexia's secret cryogen chamber. Pressed up against the wall, he leaned against the keypad and entered in the combination to open the doors. They slowly slid open, filling the hallway with light.

Alfred stumbled into the chamber and his breath hitched. There, gracefully sleeping before him, was his sister Alexia.

He took her in for a moment, slightly surprised at her womanly curves and matured features. Even though he knew she would age in her sleep, he still had the image of a twelve-year-old Alexia in his mind. Not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined her now, how her beauty only grew with her. The pale blue light of the cryogen capsule cast a blue-ish hue onto her skin, making her look like something out of a fairy tale. She was still the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

There was a noise from above and it startled Alfred out of his reverie. Turning to the computers, he realized that there wasn't much time left. Pressing the buttons required to access the chamber, Alfred quickly went to work waking up his sister.

* * *

Something wasn't right.

The wonderful imaginary world created by her mind was slowly falling apart. Darkness was filling her dreams and eating away at the edges of her perfect dream world. She felt anxious, like she had a million dragonflies flying around angrily her stomach.

It was only recently that she was beginning to become aware of herself again. She could feel consciousness slowly coming back to her and understanding was filling her mind. She was able to perceive things, but for some reason, all she was registering was a dull pain.

But that shouldn't be possible, she reasoned. Nothing could happen to her body when she was in this state. No one knew she was down there, and even if they had, Alfred would make sure that-

Alfred!

It wasn't her body's pain that she was feeling, it was her twin's! But what could have happened to him? She could sense trouble but she didn't understand how this could happen.

Suddenly, new sensations assaulted her. Her limbs began feeling heavy, as if something was weighing her down. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air, and she realized she was waking up.

There was a hissing noise and she shivered as the air made contact with her cold, wet skin. Alexia took another breath, before opening her eyes for the first time in fifteen years. Taking a few steps, she was startled to see a crumpled figure on the floor.

The man before her was tall and very thin, too thin for his frame. His platinum blonde hair was perfectly gelled into place and he was dressed in a red formal military jacket. He looked pale, almost as if his blood was oxygen deficient. Slowly the man looked up to her and Alexia took a deep breath as she stared into the familiar sky blue eyes of her brother.

"A-Alexia, you've finally awaken," Alfred breathed, reaching out to her. "Oh, Ah…lex…ee…a…" And then, he collapsed, looking near lifeless.

Alexia stood frozen as her heart beat rapidly in her chest. It wasn't until now that she noticed the blood pooling under her brother's body as well as the blood trail leading out of the chamber. The pain she had been feeling was her brother dying.

"Alfred," Alexia whispered, kneeling down to him. Gently, she rolled his body over so that he was on his back, his head resting in her lap. "My dear Alfred."

Alfred's eyes fluttered open and Alexia felt a wave of relief wash over her, grateful that she had a few more moments with him.

"I'm so…so…sorry," Alfred said, his voice barely above a whisper. Alexia could see a few trails of tears sliding down his face. "I failed you…A-Alexia."

Alexia felt her heart break at his words and she quickly kissed him. "No, Alfred. You did not fail me. I am here, alive and well. You did everything I asked of you."

"Oh, Alex…ee…a," Alfred reached out to touch her but was too weak to raise his arm to her face. His breaths were coming in shallow now and his eyes were turning glassy. "I…love…"

"Shh," Alexia grasped his hand and held it too her chest. As she did, she placed two fingers against his wrist, feeling for his pulse. It was weak and she could tell that his time was very short.

"I…feel…so…tired…"

Alexia managed a small smile. "Just sleep, my king."

Using what little strength he had left, Alfred nodded and relaxed back into her lap. Alexia kissed him once more on the forehead and softly began to sing.

"_There was a friendly but naïve king,_

_Who wed a very nasty queen._

_The king was loved,_

_But the queen was…_"

Her voice broke off as she realized that Alfred was no longer grasping her hand and that his own had gone limp. She pulled the hand away from her chest, staring in a horrified surprise at how relaxed it was. She trailed her eyes down his arm, across his chest, before going up to his face. His eyes were closed and his facial features were relaxed, resting peacefully in an eternal sleep.

For a moment, it seemed as if everything froze. Her heart stopped and her lungs seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. Her twin brother and king, the one person she trusted and loved, was dead in her arms.

"Alfred…" she murmured, shaking him gently. She knew it was in vain but…it was her brother. She had to try. "Oh, my dear Alfred."

She could feel tears stinging her eyes but she fought them back. Quickly she looked around the room. There had to be some thing that would explain this wrongful death. Something that could force her to not feel sadness but some other type of emotions that she was more familiar with.

Her blue eyes flashed and fixed onto the security camera screens. One of them showed a picture of a snow truck speeding away from the facility. Though she couldn't explain why, she instantly knew the passengers of the vehicle were the cause of Alfred's death.

Rage flooded her veins and the power of the Veronica virus flared up in response. How dare they harm her brother!

_Kill them_.

The twisted arms of Veronica exploded from the ground and swiftly went after the fleeing truck. From the television screen, Alexia watched as the vines attacked the truck, setting it ablaze before dragging back one of the survivors to the facility.

Alexia placed her brother's hand so that it rested across his chest. She ran her fingers through his hair, humming the rest of the lullaby because she couldn't trust her voice not to waver.

"_He lost his life and…his lady love…_"

**Oh wow! My first multichapter story is finally complete! Thank you to everyone who followed this story and reviewed, I truly appreciate it!**


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